


Late Is Not Never

by slowdissolve



Series: KyaLin Sketches and Adventures [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Avatar: The Last Airbender References, Bending (Avatar), Drama & Romance, F/F, Fluff, Korrasami - Freeform, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-25 12:41:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 22,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10764480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slowdissolve/pseuds/slowdissolve
Summary: Lin Beifong spends too much time at the office. A quick bite to eat becomes something she did not anticipate.





	1. The Timing Was Just Right

Lin was thirsty.

Every day as chief of the Republic City Police was long and hard. There were criminals of every kind to deal with; that was a given. Sometimes there were crises, like Spirit World residents getting into conflicts with City folk… or rather, City folk being foolish about interacting with the Spirits. Sometimes there were great disasters. That was just part of the job, in a world with benders. Skilled benders could really cause a lot of property damage.

And all of it… all of it… had paperwork. She’d gone through three sets of jade chops imprinting her seal on papers in the past year, not even counting the number of pens she’d broken signing her name again and again and again.

It was all one or the other. Fighting crime and dangerous, life-threatening crises. Was the opposite of that mind-numbing tedium and grinding bureaucracy? What else was there?

… _peace_ …

She pushed that little word in that quiet voice away from her mind.

Right now, though. After the evening shift change and the new shift’s orders given, before the after-dark criminal crowd started being dragged through the station doors. This was the time to get out of the building and get a drink and escape toward home. Because Lin was thirsty. And maybe a little hungry too.

She made her way a few blocks down to Li Han’s stall on the side of a wide street. She’d timed this just right. The end of the workday was over, and anybody who wanted a quick meal before going elsewhere had already come and gone. Anybody who was out for the evening to see a mover or go dancing was busy with that. So the stall was nearly empty, and she sat at the barstool in the middle.

Pleased, but unwilling to let down her guard, Lin ordered, gruffly, “Komodo chicken fried rice. Extra ginger and onions. I want to taste it this time.”

Li Han placed a heaping bowl of the hot rice down on the bar in front of her. “Anything to drink?”

“Water. Just. Water.”

He put a tall glass in front of her, and she took a long draw from it, grimacing. “Aw, Li Han! This is warm!”

“Hey! I can fix that!” A familiar voice behind her sang out. And before she could put the glass back down on the bar, it was frosted over and ice clinked against the sides.

“Hello, Kya,” Lin said, a little surprised. “Thanks for the ice. Waterbending saves the day.”

“Chief Beifong. How nice to see you this fine evening!” Kya said, sliding onto the barstool next to her. “I recommend the squid shrimp with hot noodles, if you ever want to try something different. Plans for the weekend?”

Lin had a sudden vision of her dark, empty apartment. She brought the glass back to her lips, because she really had nothing to say. The cold water was very refreshing now, and she gulped the rest of it down.

“Thanks for the ice,” she said again. “No. I should go in this weekend and catch up on paperwork.”

Kya smiled wryly. “You’ll never catch up on paperwork. I bet it comes in nonstop.”

Lin smiled too, now. How had Kya guessed at her own thoughts so easily? But of course it was obvious. “No, I never will, I suppose. But I don’t have other plans. Maybe just rest up and read a book or something.”

The two women sat silently for a while, as Lin ate. Kya ordered the noodles and ate as well. It wasn’t terribly awkward, but Lin found herself struggling to think what to say that would be perfectly neutral, neither too eager nor too detached. After all, she’d known Kya since they were young… her mother and Kya’s father were very good, very old friends, who had together ended the Hundred Years’ War and founded Republic City. She’d even dated her brother Tenzin. And then, later, she and Kya had fought on the same team during the all the things that happened after the new Avatar Korra had come to Republic City.

You’d think we’d know each other better, she muttered.

“I thought so too,” Kya said, amused.

Lin blushed. “I didn’t mean for that to be out loud,” she admitted, lamely.

“But you’re right. We don’t really know each other all that well, do we, Lin? In spite of having practically grown up together? But I know you really liked Dad, and he did like you. I spent more time with Mom, because Dad spent so much time focused on Tenzin and teaching him the Air Nomad culture. Mom loved Dad, but she was also concerned with the Southern style of waterbending, and building that back up, so she and I practiced it a lot together.”

“I guess I forget sometimes that she was the last waterbender from the South Pole.”

“Right. You know, the Avatar… grabs all the headlines.”

Lin rolled her eyes. “That’s for sure.”

“But hey, it’s okay now. Air Temple Island is full of new Airbenders, and the South Pole had that baby boom and all the people from the North coming down to help rebuild. And with Mom still being around to show everybody how it’s done, right from the source, you know, the Southern Style is safely established again.”

“And you learned healing from her too.”

“She’s the best the Water Tribe has. I’m glad I got that kind of bending as well. It makes me feel good to help people feel better. But I learned other things too.”

“Like?”

“Well, you know, after you and Tenzin broke up, and Bumi was off in the Forces, and Mom had taught me pretty much everything, I wanted to know what else there was. So I traveled. Saw a lot of weird places and hung out with some really weird people…but some cool ones too,” she laughed. “I made a lot of friends and tried a lot of new things and had a lot of good experiences. You know the story about Uncle Sokka and the cactus juice?” Her eyes sparkled with amusement.

Lin suddenly realized that she had turned toward and started to lean in towards Kya. She regained her sense of self and sat back upright.

“Are you all right, Lin?” Kya had one eyebrow raised.

“Yes. Uh, yes. Just. Good posture.” Oh, spirits! What the hell?

“You look like you’re holding a lot of tension in your shoulders, Lin. You know you could injure yourself if you earthbend while holding that stress. Or it could weaken your bending.”

“Yes, I know,” Lin huffed.

“Come on, let’s go have a drink somewhere,” Kya laughed again. “You don’t have plans.”

Lin’s shoulders dropped. She had no excuses, and if she were honest with herself, a little company would be a welcome change to her routine. Kya wasn’t annoying, like so many people. She liked the sound of her voice. She wasn’t a smug kid; she was mature and held herself well. And she was pleasant to look at.

Which made Lin shake her head at her own thoughts.

They entered a place with small black tables and black wood walls and white tablecloths. Small candles floated in glass bowls. Couples in the restaurant bent in toward each other, quietly sharing words and smiles. Tinny music flowed in from an unseen radio.

“You been here before?” Lin asked.

“No, but I like the atmosphere. Don’t you?”

“Sure, okay.” They sat down across from each other at a table. They talked for a while about various restaurants each of them knew; Kya knew many more, and much more about various cuisines. She knew about music, and different cultures. She had traveled extensively, and she told Lin about places that were not on most maps. Tropical islands to the southwest of the Fire Nation, vast oceans to the east of the Earth Kingdom. Exotic foods and spices and strange animals, strange colors and customs.Friends in every port. She was a good storyteller, too, Lin realized, and listened intently as Kya’s words brought those places to her mind’s eye.

A waitress came and refilled their drinks, and a second, and a third time. Lin’s shoulders were down. She was not considering her posture.

“But this is all about me,” Kya prompted. “Okay, it’s your turn.”

“Oh. Uh.” Lin thought for a minute. “Well, but there’s not a lot to tell. After Mother retired, I became Chief. The triads have been a nuisance almost the whole time. You stop them in one place, they pop up in another. It’s frustrating. And the politicians get mixed up with them, and you have to be careful about who you arrest because some judge or other will let them off, and you know there’s money floating around but it’s hard to prove it, and half the time you’re cleaning up some mess that some bender’s been making, and then you lose the trail and you have to start all over.”

“That’s not nothing,” Kya said, sympathetically. “You have a really tough job. You take your duty seriously.”

Lin continued. “Now that the war is over, and all the Earth Kingdom regions are trying to secure themselves, I’ve been spending a lot of time training metalbenders and police forces, so they can go out and train those forces out there. This on top of the normal paperwork generation is just very tiring. I wish I could get a decent night’s sleep.”

Immediately she regretted this confession. “I mean, I’m fine.”

“Ah ha ha, you can’t fool me, Lin,” Kya said. “Why can’t you sleep?”

“I don’t know,” Lin sighed. “I just wish things were… different.”

They drank quietly for a few minutes again.

Kya asked, softly, “Are you seeing anyone?”

Lin was slightly taken aback by the question, but chuckled. “No, of course not. I don’t have time for that. You know, that’s the reason that Tenzin and I broke up. He wanted family, and I wanted this job. I wasn’t going to raise kids for a living… not that I have anything against Pema…” She saw the twinkle in Kya’s eyes. They both knew what had happened when Tenzin had started up with Pema. That property damage was long since repaired and paid for, with not a little Beifong gold.

“I’m just not… well… my family doesn’t have a good record on parenting.”

“You and Tenzin weren’t right for each other. That’s all. Nobody’s to blame. I admire you, Lin, I really do.”

“You remember when we were kids, that one time, when Fire Lord Zuko made that visit to the Island? and Mother brought Suyin and me to meet him?"

“Sure. Quite the grand occasion. All those flags!"

“And he brought Mei with him? Wasn’t she beautiful?”

Kya gave Lin an examining look, but she had a growing smile. “She was, definitely.”

“But they were all laughing about ‘Honor’ like it was a joke. I never thought honor was a joke. Honor’s important. Isn’t it?”

“Well, we were kids and we didn’t understand it then, Lin. But now we know about the whole Fire Nation thing and Zuko and regaining his honor. He just took the idea farther than maybe he should have. Out of balance.”

“I know. But honor is important to me. It’s what keeps me doing this job, even though it just keeps going back and forth between terrifying and tedious.”

“There’s more to life than stress and boredom, Lin. Don’t you realize that?”

“Of course I do.”

“Right… there’s fun. And love. And peace.”

Lin leaned back in her chair. “Never met ’em.”

Kya pushed her chair back and stood. “Chief Beifong, that is the most ridiculous thing I have heard today.” She grinned. “I would like you to come with me.”

Lin, her guard just a little lowered, stood too, allowing Kya to take charge. After leaving some coins on the table, the two went out into the cooling night. A mist from the bay was rising. They walked together under the hanging lanterns, an easy pace, taking in the air.

“Where are we going?” Lin asked, after a time.

“I’d say Air Temple Island, but Mom’s there now on a visit. It’s a little crowded there with her and all the kids.” She hesitated, watching Lin’s face carefully. “I don’t suppose we could go to your place?”

Lin shrugged. “Sure. Why not?” Her home, while dark and empty, was not a bad or barren place. She had comfortable furniture, a few nice art pieces from the Beifong collection, and a beautiful view of the harbor. It was just that she was rarely there enough for it to feel much like home. It was more like a hotel room that she just happened to own. But after all, it had been a long, long day, the latest in a string of long, long days. She wanted to sit and put her feet up. A friend to chat with? Not a bad addition.

Lin showed her the way to a tall, stately building, and in and up the elevator to her rooms. She flicked the lock without a key, metalbending the tumblers with deft fingers. She opened the door, and with a slight bow, gestured for her guest to enter.

Kya whistled appreciatively. “Nice digs, Chief! Lookie here… what a beautiful sculpture!” She moved gracefully through the room to the doors that opened out onto a small balcony. The view of the city was amazing… lights glowed in the mists below, soft round patches of light in a grey blanket. Stars glittered overhead.

Lin smiled and removed her armored jacket. She draped it over a chair along with Kya’s blue wrap. She turned on a radio and moved to the sofa, and put her booted feet on a cushioned footstool. Lin’s wiry arms stretched out along the back edge of the sofa, and she tilted her head back, closing her eyes, listening to Kya move softly around the apartment. She was comfortable in her friend’s presence, not worried about anything for once.

She let her thoughts wander. Kya was really kind to spend time with her this way. Most people feared the Chief of Police, probably rightfully. Lin was a hard person, and getting harder all the time, just like Mother. She sighed. Not hard. Tough. Because when you fight crime you have to be tough.

She felt soft fingers touch her shoulders, and she stiffened instantly.

“I’m sorry,” Kya said. “I should have said something.”

“No, no. I just wasn’t expecting it.” Lin said, apologetically

“You carry so much stress in your shoulders. I thought you might like a little shoulder rub. I know acupressure massage…”

Lin’s mind reeled. She did want a massage, but realized with a shock that it had been years since someone had actually touched her bare skin. Not since… Tenzin? Could it have been so long?

Kya came around the sofa and sat on the footstool by her feet, hands in her lap. She looked at Lin silently. Lin looked back at her, her face tight, brows knitted, her eyes dismayed. Their eyes met, and suddenly she felt tears well up. Her breath caught.

“I…I don’t…” She could not say more. She didn’t even know how to ask, what to ask. She was terrified. “I’m not used…”

Kya’s head tilted, suddenly understanding, and a gentle sad look came into her eyes. She smiled tenderly.

“Do you want me to help you relax a little?”

Lin nodded, and the tears spilled out, her face burning with shame. She wiped them with the back of her hand.

Kya went back behind the sofa and touched Lin’s shoulders again, as gently as a butterfly landing. She traced fingers lightly back and forth across her shoulders, finding the qi pathways. It felt so good, so soft and good. Her breath slowed, and she took in the lovely sensation. Kya made wider sweeps, up the back of her neck and into her hairline, and down the center of her back between her shoulder blades. With each pass, she added slightly more pressure, and when she started to knead Lin’s shoulder muscles, Lin groaned gratefully.

“I knew it,” Kya said, smiling. “So much stress.”

She continued to work Lin’s shoulders for a while, and her upper back and neck, and Lin felt her whole body warm, a curl of sensation starting in her stomach. This was not how she’d expected the evening to go, no, not at all. Her cheeks burned again, realizing how this was not the right way to be tough. But she could not fight against the wonderful feeling of strong hands pressing the knots out of her muscles and letting the qi flow smoothly through her pathways again.

“How’s that feel?”

Lin grunted a chuckle. “Spirits…”

Kya was pleased, and when she stopped massaging, Lin’s protesting groan made her laugh lightly. She came back around to the footstool. “Take off these boots, will ya?”

Lin complied, feeling better than she had in ages. Kya was such a good friend to have. What a wonderful woman! And so beautiful too! She hesitated, wondering what was making her think like this. But no, just relax. This was a gift, and she was eager to accept it.

Kya jokingly waved a hand in front of her nose. “Ew, stinky feet!” she said, but her eyes were alight. Lin made a face but could not suppress the smile in it. And as Kya began to work the muscles in the soles of her feet, Lin’s eyes rolled into the back of her head and she flopped backwards on the sofa, groaning in pleasure.

When she got to the spot just behind the ball of the foot, Lin felt energy surge throughout her body. Earthbending depended on a solid connection with the earth, and the acupressure point there was vital for drawing qi in. Having that spot massaged opened the point for the free flow of energy, and she was revitalized in a deep way. Tears welled up in her eyes again.

Kya slowed. “Is something wrong?”

“Oh, spirits, no! that spot… it’s so good.” She took some deep breaths. “The qi pathway is clear,” she said, and Kya nodded, her eyes fixed on Lin’s face.

Lin realized how intently Kya had been watching her, and she felt that curl in her stomach again. She felt warm and comfortable in her friend’s presence. She’d learned so much about her tonight. Lin felt so close to her now.

When Kya moved from the footstool to the place on the sofa next to Lin, she did not flinch. Kya moved closer, into the space under her arm, and put her head on Lin’s shoulder, her arm around her waist, and Lin felt the nerves in her stomach jangle. Suddenly protective, an emotion she finally understood, she wrapped her own arm around Kya’s shoulders, feeling the smooth, soft skin of Kya’s arm under her hand, and pulled her in.

They stayed snug like this for a few moments, listening to the radio and each other’s breath. Lin realized that Kya’s long hair was not grey so much as silver, gorgeous spun silver, finer than any jeweler could make. She stroked it softly, and felt Kya’s cheek press against her breast. “Your hair is so beautiful, Kya,” she said, quietly. “You are too.”

Kya pulled back, and her eyes met Lin’s for a long moment. She turned upward, and leaned in, and her lips brushed Lin’s, as butterfly-lightly as her fingers had met her shoulders a while ago. Lin’s breath nearly stopped.

“I never…” she started.

“I know,” Kya said. “Do you want to go on?”

Lin was confused. This was almost past understanding. Her mind was flooded with images of women she had known and admired, women she’d thought beautiful, and recalled that every time she had put those thoughts away for later. But later had never happened. She was in a dream, it seemed, for once a pleasant dream, with a woman she liked who was also so beautiful, so appealing and soft, and so kind, and _right there_. The world’s troubles were a million miles away.

Kya waited, patiently, her eyes soft, and Lin focused on her again. Unable to resist, she bent and kissed her. At first it was soft and tentative, but with growing hunger, Kya responded in kind. She kissed her mouth, and her cheeks, and Lin found herself offering her long, slender throat to Kya’s lips. The way she felt was extraordinary, unlike anything she’d felt before. Kya’s warm strong hands were on her shoulders, her arms. Her fingers caressed her face and her shoulders, and trailed down toward Lin’s breasts before slipping away to her back, to pull her in. Lin’s heartbeat was in her ears, thundering. She pressed Kya to her, tightly, seeking an anchor.

She felt Kya's embrace loosen, so she withdrew her arms and sat back. Kya sat up straight and cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry," Kya said. "I need to slow down. I can't do this."

Lin tried to make her brain work, breathing shallowly. What was Kya talking about? She sat silently, her brows descending into a deep frown.

"Oh, holy spirits Lin! Don't get me wrong!! Oh, no!"

"What do you mean, then?"

"Oh, Lin! It's been such a long time for me! I want to go slowly, and not rush you. I can tell it's been a while for you too..." she paused. "I don't want to take advantage of you...and you said you never."

Lin blushed again. "I meant..."

“With a woman. I know, Lin. I understand." Kya pressed her forehead to Lin's and could feel the heat of the blush.

"No, not just a woman," Lin said. "I never."

"Not with Tenzin?"

"No. He wanted kids. I didn't. Because my mother... she... did... but those men. I didn't want to be like her, just having men leave the house in the morning. I never saw any of them more than a few times."

Kya was stunned by this. Not so much that Lin had never been intimate with anyone, but the revelation of such a personal thing about her mother, who'd risen to legend in the city. And that she had shared it with her.

Lin sat limp on the sofa, her face turned away. Kya moved to sit on one knee, facing her, and reached over and took Lin's hand in hers.

"That's why I want to go slow, Lin. I want to kiss you… so much... right now, but only for selfish reasons. I can't do that to you."

Lin kept her eyes turned away.

In the smallest voice, like a young girl's, Lin asked, "Will you leave then?"

"Not tonight, if you don't want me to. I can stay."

Lin nodded. The tears rolled. "You want to?" She asked, huskily, her voice nearly a whisper.

Kya leaned forward and kissed her cheek softly. "I so want to. But you're not ready for more. It means neither am I."

She took the place she had before, under Lin's protective arm, and they stayed there, together. Lin wondered, in this position, how she was the one who felt safe now.


	2. Cold tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kya wakes alone on Lin's sofa.

Kya woke alone on the sofa, covered by a fuzzy blanket. She stretched and listened but heard no one in Lin's apartment. Padding barefoot, she took the opportunity to look around. This was really kind of a ritzy place. The furniture was expensive and immaculately clean. There was more artwork around than she had noticed... paintings and sculptures, all elegant. The arrangement of everything showed a refined taste, much more than she'd expected from a policewoman. Toph Beifong had always been renowned for her rejection of the life of wealth and privilege that belonged to her family. Lin might be as hardcore as her mother when it came to earthbending, and maybe in demeanor, but she really wasn't like her in other ways.

But she didn’t act like a wealthy elite, either. She turned her nose up at the politicos and rich business owners who effectively ran the city. It wasn’t a secret that Varrick rubbed Lin the wrong way. Of course, Varrick was an irritant to a lot of people, Kya mused. And Asami Sato was someone everyone admired, including Lin, but she jailed her father. So money wasn’t something that could either impress or intimidate her.

She puzzled about this woman in whose home she found herself this morning. And now she found the bathroom, with a note of relief… spacious and elegantly appointed, like everything. She smirked, noting the size of the bathtub, imagining situations. Imagining herself with Lin, in the tub, warm water and soap bubbles. And Lin, oh spirits! What a gorgeous woman this was, had always been. What would it be like to see that body in the bath?

Kya thought back to her childhood. Lin was an occasional playmate when they were very young. They sometimes butted heads over the games they played. Lin was always determined to play by hard and fast rules, but Kya always wanted the game to be more fun, letting things slide a little.

They went in different directions as they got older, as she spent more time with her mother Katara, learning to master waterbending and healing. And then later, when Lin started dating Tenzin...well, that was when she had started to develop a wanderlust. She knew that she was attracted to Lin in the abstract, but she was attracted to a lot of women at that time, and Lin was already taken. There were other girls who were more than happy to experiment with her, and as she traveled, she’d made friends and lovers everywhere she went. It was easy to play around, and fun, and why not? as long as everyone was on the same page?

She winced at a few memories…hearts she’d broken. She did her best to learn from them. No one is perfect, she reminded herself. It was this that had helped her recognize that it was time to stop last night.

Those several years, after Avatar Aang passed away, she lived with Katara, helping her mother with the grief of her loss. She’d spent a little time training Korra with her waterbending, but really, Korra was a natural, born of the Southern Water Tribe, and it came so easily to her that there wasn’t a lot she could teach. During those years she stayed single, so that she could concentrate on her mother. She wasn’t lonely; never had been. There were friends to be made everywhere. Even in Republic City Kya knew a whole crowd of women who enjoyed the company of other women, and got together with them every now and then.

In fact, she'd been on her way to see some of her friends, to spend a little time at the club, dancing and drinking, maybe find someone to spend the night with. It had been a long time. Everyone worked so hard lately, and reconstruction had taken everyone’s attention away from more pleasant pastimes.

But yeah, holy monkeyfeathers! What a surprise to see her at that food stall! Lin was still beautiful. Strong, tall, sleek, handsome. Skilled in the most difficult earth bending techniques. Smart and courageous. Loyal. And still single, she had marveled. Of course, after last night, she thought she knew a little of the why.

It had been a gamble to kiss her. It could have gone very badly. But she had had a feeling that Lin needed someone, anyone. It was true that Lin carried more stress in her shoulders… her whole body… than most people could even bear. Her offer of massage was pure in intent. She just wanted to make Lin feel better; Kya was a healer first and foremost. But the look in her eyes, in that light, the soft music, the fine porcelain skin, that badass scar...the cheekbones! Kya was so attracted to her. She could not help but give it a try. 

She was amazed that Lin had responded as she had, and Kya’s own physical need gripped her hard. But there was a sort of desperation in the way Lin had held her that flashed like a red light in her mind. Kya had felt it before, and those women were the ones whose hearts she had broken, as she fled from the power of their emotions. Those women could be dangerous, jealous, cruel.

Anh Qui, whom she’d had to freeze to the bedpost because she’d tried to slash her throat when Kya said she was going back to her boat. Bong Ki, who actually tried to burn her boat in the middle of the night, to keep her in the village. Nuying, who wept so inconsolably those villagers ran her out of town.

But why did this sense of Lin's powerful need not scare her away?

Maybe because they did go back so far? That Lin was like a home to her, returning after many years of wandering? With those other women, there was still so much of the world to see! She didn’t want to be tied down yet. Did she want to be tied down now? Well, no. But Lin wouldn’t do that to her. Would she? Lin would be the single most frightening woman _ever_ to try to escape from. Escape? And yet, Lin did not seem like the women at the club, who were happy enough to spend a single night and part ways as friends the next day.

It was definitely the right thing to slow down last night, and take time to think out what it would mean to start a relationship with Lin Beifong. Did she want this? Did Lin?

She had been pacing around the apartment while all these thoughts went through her mind, and finding herself in the kitchen, she noticed that there was a cup of tea made and a note beside it. The tea had long since gone cold.

The note read, “Please do me the favor of joining me for lunch at one o'clock this afternoon at Song’s. Best, Lin Beifong.” Formal. Very. And cold? And yet it was an invitation. Lin was a puzzle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Depending on what happens next, this could be wrapped up in a chapter or two, or it could be a long-drawn out story. The question is... does Kya make it to lunch? What do you think?


	3. Circular thinking

Police were supposed to be the kind of people who ran towards danger. But today, inside the station, there was a heavy pall of fear hanging over the desks of Beifong’s officers.

Lin’s expression was terrifying. Her brows were knitted and her jaw set. Her body language was all about mowing down the next person who crossed her. She said almost nothing to anyone: mostly grunts and the occasional vague wave of the hand. She stayed at her desk most of the morning, appearing to read papers carefully, occasionally marking a page with a pen.

This was a weekend shift, and though it was not unusual to see the Chief inside her office working on paperwork on a weekend, generally she was at least talkative enough to bark orders or insults at someone. Not today. Today she was stonily silent.

If anyone had dared to ask her what was wrong, however, she might have laughed. Of course, a laugh from Lin Beifong carried its own danger, like the hypnotic weave of a parrot cobra mesmerized by a sunghi horn. Or she might have broken down in tears, which no one in Republic City had ever witnessed, and might be reason enough to flee to the hills.

Lin was deep in thought. She was replaying the previous evening’s events over and over in her head, trying to make sense of her emotions. She could not get Kya out of her mind, the sweet kisses, the warm closeness they had shared. But also the way Kya had stopped, just when she had clung to her, right when she was about to find out what it would be like to be intimate with someone. She was frustrated and confused and giddy. Kya had wanted her; that was clear. But she stopped. Why was Lin not ready? Ready for what? And why another woman? What would people think? What would Tenzin think? Why was kissing Kya so much more thrilling than it had ever been with him? What about all those women she’d looked at with misunderstood longing all her life? Lin was no young, hormone-addled teenager! Why had she put that all aside for so long? Is this what falling in love was like? Did it happen this suddenly? What did it mean to be ready? Ready how? How would this work? How could she even be _at_ work, when all she wanted was to be back on that sofa, Kya nestled into her side, everything about her there to drink in? Why was the damned clock so slow? When would one o’clock ever come? Would she be there? What would Lin say? Would Kya come to her senses and avoid her and her hardness? Who would want her, with all the gruffness and the fear she inspired in everyone? Who could love her? Why was everyone so edgy today? Why did she break down so easily? Cry in front of her? She NEVER cried, ever, in front of anyone. What the hell was wrong with her last night, to cry about a damned foot massage? What a fool she was! What a stupid donkey pig she was! Kya wouldn’t be there. What was she thinking, leaving that note? Because they had kissed? But they had definitely kissed. Would she be there? Would they be alone together again? Would there be more? Those sweet kisses, the warm closeness they had shared…

And so Lin’s thoughts circled, no good answers to any of the questions that filled her. She wanted someone to present her with a good crisis… an armed robbery or explosion would break the cycle and she could concentrate on what she was good at. She could stand on the solid ground of thinking about work. Thinking about her own feelings was like standing on water.

Lin had not slept well. She was tired. It was an early evening for both of them, though they had both dozed on the sofa for a while, but finally nature demanded that Lin rise and use the bathroom. She had oh-so-carefully crept away from Kya’s sleeping form, and went to find a blanket for her; the mists had risen to her floor of the building, and a chill had crept in. The guest blankets in the linen closet… she hoped they did not smell musty from having been stored so long unused. But they seemed all right, and as she stealthily put it over Kya, she murmured and stretched out along the sofa, seeming comfortable. Lin gazed on her for a long while, debating whether to kiss the smooth tanned cheek goodnight, or to slip away to her own room. She dared not.

In her bed, she visualized all sorts of things that she had never allowed herself to think about before. It was astonishing how much her body was responding to these mental images, and she rolled and shifted uncomfortably, her skin aching for touch, the hot wetness between her legs almost unbearable. After a few hours she slept, and dreamed vivid, exciting, embarrassing things, feeling vulnerable and exposed, dreaming of herself naked and ashamed, but also dreams of their bodies entwined, arms and legs and lips touching. She would suddenly open her eyes and remember that Kya was just outside her door, and she yearned to wake her, to play out the dream. Dawn was slow in coming.

When it did come, she knew she had to get away before she did something she would regret. She made her morning cup of tea, but set out an extra cup for her friend. Her old, new, dear friend. Kya slept soundly, it seemed, and she was too beautiful to disturb.

She wanted to stay, but she wanted to leave, but she wanted to stay. It was awful. Finally she braced herself to go, but then realized she could not just leave without saying anything, so it occurred to her to invite Kya to lunch… something safe and public, but still in her company. Maybe that was what Kya had meant… to learn more about each other. What did she mean, that she wasn’t ready?

She wrote the note, weighing each word. It seemed a little stiff, but she didn’t want to scare Kya by being too forward with her. And anyway she was too scared to say anything forward at all… she hardly knew how this was done. What did people say to each other? How does this all work?

And then she silently left the room, locking the door behind her, hoping that one o’clock would be soon. She had nowhere else to go now, but to work.


	4. Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mom always has good advice

Kya tied her sloop to the dock on Air Temple Island. The morning air was cool and damp, everything a bright, pale yellow, lit by a hazy sun.

Clearly, Lin had left the apartment near dawn, considering that when Kya woke it was still early morning. There was plenty of time to go back to the Island and visit Katara before keeping the date with Lin at Song’s this afternoon. There wasn’t a lot of breeze, but that was the advantage of being a waterbender, and she made it across the harbor in good time. The cool air had helped clear her head a bit, and she was able to concentrate on navigating out to the island swathed in mist.

She climbed the many steps, wondering who she would encounter first; the kids? one of the new Airbenders? Pema and Tenzin? or maybe she would make it up to the main room and hopefully find Mom before having to talk to anyone else.

The more she thought about Lin, the more nervous she became. She’d racked her brain, trying to remember any other woman who’d made her feel this way. There were a lot of women she’d been with, and she was a little bit shocked at herself with the numbers. Maybe a little ashamed at how many names she had forgotten? But all of them had been on the up-and-up; after she’d had those few hard lessons about making sure her intentions were understood, she hadn’t had a problem. She wondered if those women remembered her name too.

Mom had always given her the best advice. Dad had too; that was the advantage of being the airbending Avatar’s daughter. He understood balance. That was his purpose and destiny. And through balance one was able to achieve peace. The Air Nomads’ teachings of detachment and nonviolence were incredibly important to him, and he strove to teach those principles to his children and students. And really, how could you argue with those principles? If you tried hard to harm no one, no one should have a reason to harm you; and if you were compassionate and tried to understand someone who tried to harm you, you could usually find the way to remove their motivation to harm you.

Right now, peace was not what she was feeling. Balance either.

Mom and Dad agreed on balance. She had seen what imbalance could do to the world, having lost her own mother to the Fire Nation so long ago. She took to heart what Dad believed. But Mom was a strong woman, too, and knew her own mind. Her long years and experience caring for—and fighting against—others gave her an understanding of how people’s minds worked. She never abandoned anyone she cared about. 

This thought stung a bit. Had she abandoned anyone? Had she really cared about anyone? Could you forget the name of someone you cared about? No… she was always there for the ones she loved. She’d risked her life for them. But those women she’d hurt… she hadn’t cared about them as much as herself. She’d been selfish. It was a long time ago, when she was young. And nobody’s perfect. And you can’t change the past. Acknowledge it, learn from it, let it go.

She noted gratefully that the airbenders were down in the practice field, blowing the mists to and fro, making them into cloud sculptures. Korra was there too, she realized gladly. She’d have to try and catch her for a few minutes before she had to leave.

She slipped into the family’s living room, and found Katara asleep on a large cushion, with her youngest nephew Rohan sound asleep atop her. The toddler was sprawled out over his grandmother. Kya was disappointed. It would be wrong to wake her mother, and foolhardy to wake a sleeping toddler. She stood a moment, wondering what to do next, when she heard her mother whisper.

Without opening her eyes, Katara said, “Help me. Get this kid off me. I have to pee.”

Kya stepped over, and gingerly lifted the surprisingly heavy child up, and rolled him into her arms. The boy sighed heavily, but didn’t wake. She too sighed with relief. Katara rolled awkwardly off the cushion, onto her knees, and stood. Then she wobbled stiffly but very quickly out of the room.

Kya started to sway, hoping desperately that Rohan would not wake. Children were not her thing. She enjoyed playing with her nieces and nephews (though young Meelo sometimes made her concerned), but was more than glad to turn them back over to their parents when she was ready to go. And how did such a small child get to be so heavy? He was like a wet sack of grain. Speaking of wet… she realized with dismay that the boy needed a new nappy. Ah well. It was time to change clothes anyway.

Katara and Pema came back in after what seemed like ages. Pema smiled gratefully and took her son back, and out of the room.

“Hello, baby,” Katara said, as she kissed her daughter’s cheek. “Have a good time last night?”

“I did, Mom. I really did.”

“That’s good.”

They wandered out to the walkway that overlooked the practice field, and sat on a bench. Time passed, neither taking the initiative to start a conversation. It grew slightly uncomfortable. Usually conversation with her mother was easy. But she wasn’t sure what she wanted to ask.

Katara looked out over the field. “Well, so. What’s her name?”

Kya was startled. She didn’t talk about this with her mother except in the most abstract terms. Her mother knew she liked women instead of men, and that never seemed to bother her at all. Dad had been pretty cool with it too. But they didn’t pry into who she was seeing, never demanded details. Didn’t tease her. Indeed, it seemed that they were always simply happy that she was happy. And she almost always had been.

Kya paused a long bit, trying to figure out what to say. But if she really wanted it, telling the truth was going to be the best way to go about getting good advice.

“Lin Beifong.”

Katara’s eyes widened, and she smiled a deep smile, but kept her eyes on the grandchildren and novices down on the field. She started to laugh to herself.

“What? Come on, Mom.”

“Toph and I have always been friends. It wasn’t always easy. Toph has a… strong personality. It seems to me that Lin inherited it too.”

“Well… yeah.”

“She has a reputation for being tough. She IS tough. Her mother was as solid as the metal she bent. Sometimes she was as stubborn as metal, too.”

Kya waited for more.

“I always worried about you, baby. I hoped you would find someone to love. As time has passed, I’ve thought that maybe that’s not your path. Everyone has their own path, and what I want for you is not necessarily what you want or need. So I’ve been glad that you’ve been so content being yourself.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Love is hard work. Feelings come and go. Sometimes what you thought you loved in a person drives you nuts later on. You get close to people and you see their flaws. You get close to people and you have to show them your own flaws. Sometimes that works out, and sometimes it doesn’t.”

“Yeah…”

“When it does work out, you make a choice to do the work that love is. You make a choice to make sure to provide the best for them, regardless of what that does to you. It can hurt.”

Kya listened.

“Lin Beifong. I didn’t expect that.”

“Well… I don’t know, Mom. That’s the problem.”

“You don’t know if you’re in love with her?”

“No. I mean, I kind of just re-met her yesterday. Yeah, we were kids together, but that was a long, long time ago.”

“So no?”

“Well, I mean, I don’t know what this is that I feel. It’s kind of new to me.”

Katara smiled again, more tenderly. “Better late than never, huh?”

Kya hunched forward, her chin in her hands. “I was never lonely, Mom. I never felt like I needed anybody.”

“That’s okay, baby. You are a strong, independent woman. I raised you to be exactly that. I understood why you left, and had to travel. Your father was the Avatar. You know… the Avatar… grabs all the headlines.”

Kya smirked. Exactly.

“I was the last waterbender in the South Pole, and I am a pretty good waterbender, you might have noticed.” She smiled. “It took me a long time to realize that even though your father was the Avatar, I was still me, and I am important. You needed to be Kya, and now you are so wonderful.”

“Aww, Mom…”

She paused. “Do you like the way she makes you feel?”

“Well, yes and no. The problem is, I’m afraid that she needs me more than I need her.”

“Maybe she does.”

Kya pondered this.

Katara continued, “Would that be so bad?”

“When I met your father,” Katara went on, “he was twelve. He’d been missing for a hundred years, frozen near the South Pole. And the first thing he asked me, when he woke after that hundred years, was if I’d go penguin sledding with him.”

Kya grinned at this. It was just like her father to do that. He’d always been playful.

“He lost his whole people. All of them. Everyone he ever knew was gone, as soon as he woke up. When he found that out, he was devastated. He needed me and Sokka, I think more than any one person has ever needed anybody. Our mother was gone, so we understood, but it was so much more than that. We still had our father and our Tribe.”

Kya nodded. She knew this part of the story.

“But when we went penguin sledding, before he’d discovered he was the last airbender, I needed somebody like him. I’d lost a part of my childhood and he gave it back to me. I didn’t realize it at the time. As we traveled the world, he became my family too. He became my best friend. And we saved each other a lot of times.

“Right before Sozin’s Comet came, we were hiding out on Ember Island in the Fire Nation. We went to this really awful play. During the intermission, he came and kissed me. And I was afraid. I was afraid that I would fail him. Everything depended on him, and he depended on me. I was terrified that I would not be enough, and I would lose him. I didn’t want that burden.

“But it turned out, in the long run, that we really just both needed each other. And the rewards. I can’t even count them all… for one thing, now I have you.”

Kya turned to face her mother. She knew just what to say.

“You just re-met her yesterday. It’s hard to say what’s going to happen next. Your path is your path, and her path is hers. Maybe you’ll walk together for a while, if you want. If she’s anything like her mother, it will at least be interesting.”

“You are the best, Mom.”

“And Tenzin has more than enough kids now. I don’t need any more grandchildren.” Katara winked.

Tenzin’s children bounded up the stairs from the field, Meelo riding an air scooter, racing against Korra. Korra beat him to the top by less than a step, but a win was a win. Meelo sulked and squished his grandmother with a hug.

“Kya!” Korra said, jovially. “Long time no see, huh?”

“Korra! Just the Avatar I was looking for!”

The rest of the family arrived up the long flight of stairs, and headed inside for drinks. Korra and Kya remained outside.

“I kinda missed you, kiddo!” Kya said. “Tell me about that vacation! I heard you went into the Spirit World with Asami?”

Korra dropped her eyes and blushed deeply, smiling widely.

Kya’s eyebrows lifted, and she smiled back, astonished. “Oh ho ho! So it was… amazing?”

Korra glanced up and saw Kya’s grin. She seemed relieved. “It was A-MAAAA-ZING!!” the Avatar confided, in a singsong voice.

“Say no more, Korra,” she responded. “I can imagine…” 

“Thanks, Kya. It’s still a little strange… but we’re adjusting to each other. Every day gets better.”

Kya nodded. Adjusting. Every day gets better.

“Come on, let’s go in and get something to drink,” Korra said.

“I can’t stay, but let’s catch up later. I have a date at Song’s at one o’clock.”

“Is that right? You’ll have to tell me about it later. Unless you want to ‘say no more’…”

“Maybe we’ll have to have to go out for a drink that’s a little more grownup.”

“That is a deal. Let me know. I’ll be around.”

“Tell you what… If this date goes well, meet us later on tonight. Bring Asami. I know a place you might enjoy.”

“Where is it?”

“Down in the Lung Dragon neighborhood. Little downstairs place called Kyoshi Island. It’s on Smellerbee Street past 32nd. There’s a little sign. But it’s a private club. When they ask, say ‘Suki’s sisters.’ Round about 9:00?”

“Sounds good. But what if your date doesn’t go so well?”

“Then I will definitely be there. Don’t you worry.”


	5. The Slowest Hour

At ten to one, Lin got up from her desk, and headed out the door. There was a collective sigh from the police officers.

At precisely one, Lin took a table for two at Song’s. It was a nice place, bright and airy and cheerful. Fresh colorful flowers were on all the tables.

At ten after one, Lin drummed her fingers on the table, clearly nervous.

At twenty after one, Lin’s face was a scowl. A frightened waiter placed a cup of steaming jasmine tea she hadn’t ordered in front of her, and slunk away.

At one thirty, Lin’s shoulders slumped, and she stared at the cup of tea cooling in front of her.

At one forty, she drank the tea.

At ten to two, the head waiter brought her a glass of warm saké. Lin drank it, and ordered another.

At two o’clock, she downed the second glass of saké, stood, and left the restaurant. 

She went back to the police station, into her office. She drew the blinds, and locked the door. She wept bitterly.


	6. Suki's Sisters

Korra and Asami found the darkened doorway down a flight of steps from the sidewalk. They wondered quietly why Kya would have invited them to such a shady looking place. This had all the looks of the kind of bar that frequently staged brawls.  
  
But Kya had invited them, and they agreed to meet her here. They looked at each other with a shrug, and Asami slipped on her Equalist glove. Korra knocked on the door, and an eye-level window slid open. The woman’s eyes behind it were clearly surprised, but she demanded, gruffly, “Password.”  
  
“Suki’s sisters?” Korra said, unsure.  
  
The surprised eyes opened even a little wider, but then so did the door. She and Asami entered.  
  
The darkened bar was full of women, of all ages and sizes. No men at all. A hush fell over the room as the two of them walked toward the astonished bartender and sat down on the barstools.  
  
Korra and Asami were used to being recognized, what with the papers and the newsreels that had often featured them. But this was bordering on weird.  
  
Asami asked the bartender, “Have you seen Kya tonight? She was supposed to meet us here.”  
  
The bartender’s face went from astonished to delighted. She slapped both her hands flat on the bar, and shouted, “NEW SISTERS!”  
  
A trombone went "Aaaa-ROOMP" and the band in the back of the bar burst out in hot jazz. The crowd in the room erupted in hollering cheers and applause. Suddenly Korra and Asami were surrounded by everyone, slapping their backs, shaking hands, offering hugs, kissing cheeks. It was an overwhelming welcome, and their eyes shone in wonder.  
  
It took a little while, but finally the excitement died down, and the crowd resumed its activities, though perhaps rather merrier than before.  
  
"What can I get ya?" The bartender asked. "My name's Tukkatok, but you can just call me Tok." She was a stout, chubby Water Tribe woman, whose choker was nearly hidden under her double chin.  
  
"What's up, Tok?" Korra grinned. "Well, yeah… we were supposed to meet Kya here. You know her?"  
  
"Who doesn't?" Tok said with a laugh. "But no, now that you say that. We haven't seen Kya around in kind of a long while. Months? Since before Kuvira."   
  
"Well that's odd," Asami said. "That's not like her."  
  
"No, it isn't," Tok agreed. "Kya's a player, but she always keeps her word. She's always clear about her plans."  
  
Asami leaned toward Korra and said to her quietly, "Should we be worried?"  
  
"I don't know," she replied. Her smile faded. "I hope that date didn't go very badly. But she was supposed to be here, either way. I wonder who the date was."  
  
"It was at Song's. Maybe we should go ask who she was with."  
  
"Let's give her a little time. It's only been twenty minutes or so. Things happen. And Kya's smart, and a tough waterbender. She can handle herself."  
  
The ordered some drinks, and watched the festivities, dancers, and women talking and holding hands, and snuggling close to each other. "I had no idea this place was here," Asami said. "I feel so comfortable."  
  
"I know, right? We'll have to make this a regular spot," Korra replied.  
  
Tok beamed, rubbing a glass with washcloth. "That's why we're here, you know. Girls like us, we gotta have a space of our own. But!"  
  
Asami and Korra waited.  
  
"But! We'd appreciate it if you kinda kept this to yourselves. This club is private for a reason. Lotta girls don't want everybody to know what they're up to, you know? Don't tell the password to just anybody."  
  
Asami nodded. Korra answered, "That is just fine by us. We're not really ready to be very public ourselves."  
  
"You've made a lotta girls here pretty happy, you know, just being here. We don't get a lot of celebrities, but we never dreamed you two would be coming in."  
  
Asami put her arm around Korra's waist, and they looked at each other.  
  
"A lot of us…well… we always hoped you two would… get together."  
  
"Really?" Korra was dumbfounded.  
  
"Well, yeah. Some of the girls here came up with a name for you." She hesitated. "They call you Korrasami."  
  
Asami laughed. "The Avatar always comes first, huh?"  
  
"That's…cute…" Korra blushed.  
  
Tok bellowed with laughter, heading down the bar.  
  
After another drink, Korra frowned slightly. "This is really not like Kya, is it?"  
  
"No," Asami replied. "I'm worried now."  
  
"Let's just find out, then. Think Song's is still open?"  
  
"It's the weekend. They should be."  
  
Waving to the bartender, they paid for their drinks and stood, and were again surrounded by their new friends, who pleaded with them to stay. Assuring them that this was not the last time they'd be there, they made their way out into the nearly empty street.  
  
In the Satomobile, Asami pushed the pedal a touch harder than she normally did. They were in front of Song's in short order, but they were putting the chairs up on the tables, preparing to close.  
  
The Maître d' looked puzzled. "No, no one by that description was here today. That was around the end of the lunch rush, so it was my break time, but I would have remembered someone like that. There was a person here who appeared to be waiting on someone. The staff felt bad for her because no one showed up, and they gave her some tea and saké on the house. I didn't see who that was, though, and the wait staff went home after the dinner rush. It's just cleanup now."  
  
"This is just not feeling good," Korra said to Asami. "Is it time to call Lin?"


	7. Back to Work

She'd fallen asleep at her desk. 

Between last night's tossing and turning, and the wracking sobs from this afternoon, tears now dry on her face, Lin had lost all motivation and was exhausted. She had closed her burning eyes for just a moment and somehow awakened hours later. 

She'd done her best to distract herself with paperwork, cleaning up much of the backlog. It was actually possible that another day like this and she'd be able to catch up.

But Lin never wanted another day like this ever again. She was hollowed out. Everything inside felt burned up, charred. She'd been so embarrassed, leaving Song's restaurant alone. She had feared that Kya wouldn't join her, and there was no comfort in being right. 

Last night hadn't meant anything... it was supposed to be a simple massage. Kya had only kissed her to apologize for scaring her. It was just an innocent kiss, like between children. Everything else... the personal admissions, her reaching out and kissing Kya back; that was just her own wishful thinking. She was weak and self-indulgent. Undisciplined.

Kya only said she wanted to kiss her more to console her. She didn't really mean it. How could she have? Why on earth would she want more from a hard, bitter old woman like herself?

It was dark out now. How long had she slept? Her body was stiff from sleeping in the chair. She could use another massage... and her eyes stung again as she choked down the tears. She had to get a grip on herself, or she'd never be able to open the door to the office.

But it was time to get up and get going. What the hell was she thinking? She didn't have time for this kind of thing anyway. It was why it didn't work with Tenzin. Why should it work any better with anyone else? The job was what mattered. It was a matter of honor, to fulfill her duty as Chief of Police. She was as tough as her mother. She was tougher. She didn't need men or women or anyone. Do the job. Dry up, Beifong.

She took a deep breath, and got up, rubbed her face, and opened the door to her office.

Startled police officers, chatting amiably with each other, swung around to see Lin's imposing figure in her doorway. They had forgotten she was there.

"What are you doing just standing there? You think those triad thugs are going to turn themselves in? Crime just stopped dead in Republic City? MOVE!" she shouted. 

Scrambling detectives hustled to their desks, and uniformed men scuttled out the front door. Phones were picked up, even if they didn't have a number to call. Heads were immediately bent down to their papers.

She stalked through the room, hands behind her back, inspection-style. At each desk she passed, furtive work redoubled.

She looked out into the evening as she came to the front door. Tonight was clear, and a sliver of moon was up over the mountains outside the city.

She walked, slowly, disapprovingly, hard and frightening, back to her office. Her boots hit the floor with a thud at every step. She went in and sat back down with the door open. Outside the men heard the solid thump of her jade chops inking her seal onto papers. Her face was granite.

Around ten, the station now buzzing with bookings of petty criminals, the phone in her office rang.

"WHAT!" she demanded, yanking up the receiver.

"Lin?" Korra was on the other end of the line.

"Avatar Korra. What do you want?"

"Uh, hello Lin. Uh. Hey, something's wrong, and we kind of need your help."

"What is it?"

"Well, Asami and I were supposed to meet Kya tonight to do a little catching up, but she didn't show. Something just feels off. This morning, out on Air Temple Island, she was talking about a date early this afternoon, and she didn't want to miss it."

Lin's heart was in her throat.

"She said no matter how the date went, she was going to meet with us, but she didn't. So we went to Song's, to see if she'd been there. The Maitre d' said she wasn't, but whoever was there to meet her got stood up. That's just so not Kya."

Lin couldn't breathe.

"Lin? Are you there? Lin?"

"Where are you now?" she said, hoping her voice wasn't shaking. Her hands were.

"We're at the docks on a pay phone. We were going to go back to the Island to see if she'd come back there."

"Go. Radio me if she is there." She dropped the receiver into its cradle.

She had no idea where to begin looking, but Lin had to find Kya.


	8. A Little Light on Dark Water

There wasn’t a lot to go on. The mists had cleared this evening, but the harbor between Republic City and Air Temple Island was dark with only a thin crescent moon, and seemed much larger, deeper, and much more dangerous than Lin had ever thought of it before.

But it was ridiculous to think that Kya’s boat could have gone down anyway. Kya was a master of waterbending in her own right. At worst, the boat would have gone down, and she would have bent the water to get herself either back to the Island or to the docks. Drowning was just not a realistic situation. There was no unruly weather, no Unagi or other sea monsters lurking below the waves. Pirates? In her harbor? Not likely.

But that didn’t help, because it did nothing to explain where she was. Korra had radioed back, and told her that she hadn’t been seen by anyone on the island since the morning. Dock workers had changed shifts since then too… she could potentially assign detectives to interview them now, but Kya wasn’t actually a priority, legally speaking. Kya was an adult, who wasn’t where she said she’d be, but no laws were broken. And it had only been twelve hours or so.

Her hands were tied, officially speaking. Further, she was trying her utmost to detach herself from the situation. Her emotions were in a hurricane, and Lin was simply too close to panic to be helpful to any investigation.

The best thing to do would be to go home and wait. Maybe meditate a while… it wasn’t something she did very often, but if it worked for Tenzin it might work for her. At least she could do something productive, like write out a list of pros and cons to dating… dating? It sounded so… juvenile.

Korra would come be coming back from the Island soon. She said she was staying with Asami because the Island was so crowded these days, and the Sato estate was huge enough to accommodate any number of guests. When she got back on the mainland, Korra planned to search for Kya the way she had found Prince Wu when he’d been abducted by Kuvira’s people, by feeling the earth for a connection to her. Avatar stuff… could be handy, sometimes.

In the morning, if that didn’t work, and if Kya didn’t just come strolling back from somewhere, then she could maybe send a couple of detectives to the docks to ask questions about her boat in the morning. Had she come back? Had they seen her sail go in a different direction? But opening an official search was not something she could justify right away.

Surely Tenzin would try to help find his sister. Unless he didn’t take her absence too seriously, which was possible, as she’d traveled so much, and came and went as she pleased. Of course, that was decades ago, to be honest. This was what was worrisome. Since she’d come home from her world tours, everyone said, she was always very clear about making sure those who cared about her knew what her plans were. A considerate quirk.

There was still that place where Korra and Asami had agreed to meet Kya. Once she knew the name of the place, she was going to pay them a visit and find out a few more things about people she called her friends. Lin knew none of them.

She sat in the black-and-white near the docks, watching the golden reflections of the city lights merge with an occasional flash of the silvery moonlight in the ever-changing water’s surface. In a sea of gold, silver stands out, she thought. Kya was her silver-haired treasure; Kya really had wanted to see her again today. It wasn’t that Lin wasn’t worth her time, or that Lin was too bitter or hardened… Kya had planned… was _looking forward_ to seeing her. Her stomach was in knots. It was like a dream again. An unexpected blessing from the Universe to her… but snatched from her grasp at the last second.

Her bones ached with inaction.

A dark object on the water became clearer, and she recognized the little powerboat that Korra and Asami had taken out to the Island. She was at once relieved and filled with fresh anxiety.

The two young women docked and climbed the stairs up to Lin’s car.

“Okay, let’s try this,” Korra said. She kneeled on an unpaved patch by the roadside, and her eyes glowed briefly, as she went into the Avatar state.

A short time passed, but the wait was unbearable. “Well?” Lin demanded… but then softened her voice, not wanting to sound too worried. “Do you see anything? Any trail?”

“This is weird, Lin. There’s a connection, or at least there was one. It leads out past the mountains to the southeast, but it’s faint, like it’s an old trail. And then it just… blurs. It’s strange. Like she just vanished from the surface of the earth.”

Something occurred to Lin. She leaned in through the car window, took the microphone from the radio, and called in to the station. “Any reports of stolen airships or planes? in the past few weeks?”

The response came back negative, but Lin was undeterred. This was a first-class policewoman’s hunch, but she was certain that an airship was involved. It would explain someone vanishing from the earth.

“Let’s go back to that place you were supposed to meet,” she said. “If the people there are her friends, maybe they know something we don’t.”

“Are you worried, Lin? I mean, this just started out being something that didn’t seem in character. Do you think there’s really something wrong?” Asami’s eyes were full of concern.

She could not answer. She didn’t want to admit that she was; she wasn’t prepared to show emotions like that. But she had already done this much to help search, and it would be hard to laugh it off now.

“Honestly, yes,” she said, finally. “When people do things this much out of character, it’s a good sign that something’s gone wrong.”

Korra agreed. “The trail fading off like that seems to me to say that she’s either doing something nobody ever expected, or there’s somebody with her taking her someplace that she didn’t intend to go. I think Lin’s right about the airship. If they’re still in the air, it would be hard for me to feel that connection until they land again. All I see is fuzz right now.”

Asami frowned. “Then they have a big head start on us. If we don’t know which direction to go, we could lose a lot of time searching. We should go back to Kyoshi Island and narrow it down.”

“Kyoshi Island?” Lin asked, baffled. “But that’s on the other side of the Earth Kingdom from here.”

“No,” Asami said, “It’s on the other side of 32nd and Smellerbee Street.”


	9. At a Loss

Kya's left eye opened momentarily. The right eye couldn't; it was swollen shut and crusted somehow. Everything was dark but for a few lines of gold light swirling. Her vision was unstable and her head was filled with pain. She felt her gorge rising, gagged, and a wave of agony washed over her. She blacked out again.

She was jerked awake, who knows how much later. She'd been dropped, and landed with a hard bang on the ground. She was inside something hard and small. Her hands were tied to her feet and her knees bent up to her chest. Her head pulsed with every breath, and she felt the world swim again. The nausea rose, and she blacked out a second time.

The thing that encased her was moving. She felt herself picked up and landing with another thud, and she saw sparks of pain, though her eyes were closed. Every part of her ached. Her muscles were stiff and sore from not being able to move. Her skin was abraded wherever it was in contact with what she realized was rough wood. She was inside a wooden crate. She tried opening her eye again. The gold lines were daylight coming in through the spaces between the planks.

The box started to bump and shake; she was being driven somewhere, probably in the back of a truck. It was hot inside the crate, and her mouth was sour and dry. Dust rose and filled her nose as she tried to breathe shallowly. The dust made her nauseous again, and she hovered on the edge of consciousness. She did not have strength to fight it. Her mind went dark again.

When the truck stopped, Kya awoke again. She felt the box being lifted and carried, swaying. The light changed from gold to grey. She felt herself put down, more carefully this time. She was in agony. Pain screamed inside her head. She couldn't move and could hardly breathe. It was hot and she was thirsty, and her mouth was foul. She smelled of sweat and vomit. Her hair was pasted to her cheeks.

Voices, low and unintelligible, spoke outside the box. Her heart began to hammer with fear, which sent pulses of misery through her head. How was she here?

She struggled to remember anything. She remembered the daylit hazy streets of Republic City, a fog burning off in the late morning. She was on her way to somewhere. She felt the anxiety of being late; she could not miss this appointment. What was it? Thinking was difficult, and the pain awful and distracting. She could not disappoint…Lin! She was on her way to see Lin. She was late. She didn't know why she was going, or why she couldn't get there.

She started to weep from fright and bewilderment, tears making trails through the dust on her face. Kya saw Lin's eyes in her thoughts, so sad, and the pain became blinding again. She closed her good eye and accepted darkness a fourth time.

When finally she regained consciousness, she found herself being lifted out of the crate. Strong hard hands picked her up bodily, and placed her down on something softer. The light was unbearable, and she kept her eye closed. The bonds on her hands and feet were loosened, but she was too stiff and sore to move. Gentler hands pulled her legs away from her chest, and she felt great relief as the muscles were stretched. She was weak. Too weak to move herself. 

The voices, no longer muffled, were still too quiet to understand. Who were they? Why was she here?

It was hot, but not as hot as before. She opened the eye gingerly and saw that she was inside a small, dim building. Shade. Two dark forms stood in front of a window, mercifully blocking a blinding light. They were the ones speaking. The shorter form moved, and she closed her eye against the glare.

She felt a cool, damp cloth on her face, washing away the vomit and sweat. She felt it blot a stinging spot on her brow above her damaged eye… a cut that had bled and crusted her eye shut. A gentle wiping motion on her swollen eyelid to clear the dried blood away.

She heard heavy footsteps as the other person left the building. 

Who was this?

"I told him not to hurt you. But you'll be better soon, dear one."

Dear one? Spirits! What has happened to me? Kya thought, in terror. Her heart raced, her skull throbbed, the tide of blackness rose again, and she passed out of consciousness.


	10. Q&A

Korra knocked on the door to the basement club, Kyoshi Island. After a pause, the small window came open, and she heard the voice say “Password.”

“Suki’s sisters,” she said, and the door swung open. The woman who’d opened the door smiled to see Korra and Asami again, but recognized Lin Beifong standing tall and threatening behind them, and her smile seemed to fall off her face. She stepped aside, half hiding behind the door.

The crowd was significantly smaller now, the band gone. A group of older women stood and sat around a table where two were playing a game of Pai Sho. Tok was one of the onlookers, and she was slow to stand, intently following the action. When she did finally turn around, her face became ashen, and her eyes slid to Korra with a look of betrayal.

She went around the bar and stood behind it, arms folded, as though it were her fortress. “Why did you bring the police?” she asked Korra, her voice hard.

“No! Tok! We’re not here to cause you trouble. Kya is missing and we need to find out what happened.”

Tok’s defensive stance softened, and she dropped her arms. “However we can help,” she offered.

Lin’s voice was strange. “When was the last time you saw her?” she demanded. 

“Months ago. Before Kuvira. I told these two that earlier.”

“Had anybody been talking about her? Asking about her?”

“Not that I can remember, no.”

“Can you think of anybody who had anything against her?”

“Noooo… everybody loves Kya. She’s great. She’s a lot of fun. Well, I mean, lotta the girls wish she’d settle down, you know… everybody wants to be the one… but we all know that’s not how she rolls.”

Lin seemed to struggle to contain herself. Her scowl sharpened. 

“Any of those girls likely to do anything…stupid?”

“No. Mostly us regulars here… we’ve known her for years. The younger girls are all busy running around with each other… Kya’s the best, but the kids aren’t interested in the more… mature ladies.”

Lin breathed heavily through her nose, and Korra and Asami looked at each other, not quite sure what to think.

“Mostly you regulars. Anybody else?”

“Not that I can think of. I’m sorry. I’m not being very helpful.”

A tall, thin Water Tribe woman came in from the back room, wearing a greasy apron. Tok turned to her. “Miki, do you know if anybody’s been asking about Kya lately?”

“There was this guy who tried to get in here last week.”

“There was?”

“Yeah, guy came pounding on the door last week, before we were open. You were downtown buying stuff. Shouting that he knew Kya was in here.”

“Did you get a look at him?” Lin asked. 

“Kinda sorta no.” She said. “I didn’t see his face, but I saw him stomping up the stairs. I wasn’t going to let any guy in here. That’s against the rules,” she said, and put her arms around Tok. “I just stayed behind the door and listened until he left. Then I peeked out.”

Lin had her hands down on the bar, leaning forward. “What did you see?”

“He was dirty. Dusty, like. I couldn’t tell if his jacket was green or brown. Kinda both. And he had one of those hoods… like those desert guys wear, to keep the sand out. He wasn’t wearing it up, but he had it on, pulled down, like. I only seen those hoods in the movers, but I know what they are. Don’t get sandbenders much in Republic City. But other than that, he wasn’t dressed like a sandbender from the movers. More like an old suit.”

Tok turned and kissed Miki on the cheek. “Thank you, love.” She looked back at Lin. “That help you any?”

“Yes,” Lin said, her eyes cold. “We only have to check the whole Si Wong Desert.”

Korra touched Lin’s elbow, pulling her back. “Don’t worry, Lin. I can look for a connection again. Airships need to land eventually. The desert is large, but it does help narrow things down. Anybody who’s out there has to be able to get to someplace for supplies, especially water, so if we start with the Oasis and ask there, we have a real direction to head.”

Asami added, “Should we take an airship or plane? I have both ready at the hangar.”

“Will a plane seat three?” Lin asked. “I don’t know how much time we have. I think we need to move fast.”

Asami shot a look to Korra. Korra nodded.

“Lin, are you all right?” Asami asked.

“Fine. I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine,” Korra said. “You look like you’re about to drop. You’re white as a sheet, and you look like you haven’t slept.”

“I didn’t.” Lin said, and turned to stride out the door.


	11. Silence and Music

The next time Kya came awake was in the night. The room was pitch black, but out the window the sky was blue and speckled with many stars. 

Using her eyes now was not so awful. The blood had been cleaned away, so she could open the right one, and things didn't waver as they had before. Her head ached awfully, still, but not so that she felt nauseous. Now her thirst was prominent. 

She found she had a little strength, now that she'd slept, and her muscles had recovered somewhat from her cramped transport, so she shifted a little. To her horror, she realized there was someone lying in the bed next to her. The figure murmured and shifted herself...the voice was a woman's.

Doing her best to quell her terror, she tried to assess her situation. She was injured and probably dehydrated, clearly had a concussion, and was likely in a desert area. She was too weak to fight her way out, and there was likely too little water anywhere to bend in any case. She would have to learn more about her circumstances before she could escape.

The form behind her seemed to be turned away from her, so that they had their backs to each other. If she attempted to roll over, she would not see the person's face, and risked waking her. She checked herself for tension in her body, and let go of it, so that she could conserve her strength.

Kya could make out some shapes in the room by starlight. It was sparsely furnished. A table and chairs, a bed, and what seemed to be a smaller work table covered with piles of things. In the corner near the work table were strange-shaped objects. There was a hearth with baskets and pottery nearby. That was likely to be where she would find water to bend, once her strength returned. 

Making mental notes was difficult, and the effort to think clearly was taxing. She closed her eyes again. She let her mind drift... memories floated by. The fight with the Red Lotus. She was injured then too. Healing. Mom's face, and then Dad's. Dancing with Dad. Dancing on top of the bar at Kyoshi Island, another girl attempting to plant a kiss on her, and roaring laughter. Laughing with Tenzin and Pema's children. Tenzin and Pema's wedding. The fur of sky bisons, so soft.

She drifted back off to sleep. 

In the grey light of dawn, her face was touched softly, and she woke, believing herself at her home as a child. An unfamiliar voice said, “Darling, you need to drink this."

She came full awake, and tried to bolt up, but couldn't lift her head more than a couple of finger-widths before the pain in her skull made her reel. She dropped her head, and felt a gentle hand come under and lift it. A cup touched her lips, and the cool water moistened them, so she tried to raise up to drink. The water was the best thing she'd ever tasted. She gulped as much as she could. 

When it was gone, she moved her head to see who it was who'd helped her. The figure was silhouetted against the light of the window, but the woman appeared to be bony and short. There were wrinkles from age or weathering on the illuminated part of her cheek. Her hair was black.

Exhausted, she dropped her head back down. 

"You're as beautiful as you ever were, Kya. And your hair has gone such a lovely color. It’s like a dream, having you here with me,” the voice said. Kya did not recognize it.

She tried to speak, but could only gasp. She whispered, "Who are you?"

"You don't remember me, do you?" The voice was disappointed. "You loved me one night, and now you don't remember my name."

"I'm sorry," Kya whispered, "I'm sorry. My head…"

"I shouldn't be surprised, really. It was so long ago."

Kya, frustrated, felt tears seep out the corners of her eyes.

"Oh, darling, no…" the woman said. "Your head is injured. I should have thought of that."

She moved away, and in the growing light of dawn more of her face was revealed. Kya did recognize her, but the name would not reveal itself. Racking her brain was a bad idea, and the flood of pain from struggling to remember made her draw a deep breath.

"I'm going to cook you some beans while it's still cool outside,” the woman said. "We don't have much else here right now. Deng has gone to get more supplies, but it's a long trip, and he may not be back again today."

On cue, Kya's stomach growled. She hadn't eaten since the squid shrimp hot noodles with Lin… LIN! Where was Lin? She'd missed her date with Lin. She suddenly hoped that Lin would know to come look for her. All she had to do was hang on until then.

"Do you remember the village of Jiuchong? Southeast of Gao Ling? It would have been, oh, twenty-five years ago or so."

Kya whispered, "No."

"I met you then, darling. You saw me playing music at a village festival, and you said you wanted to get to know me."

Kya lay silent. The memory was there. Dim, but she pictured a young woman playing a large stringed instrument sitting by the open doorway of a mud hut.

"I remember."

"My name is Nuying. Do you remember me?"

Kya did. Her heart beat faster. She'd just thought of Nuying yesterday morning, in Lin's apartment. 

Nuying's village had driven her out after hearing her loud crying. Kya had just explained to her that it had been a wonderful night, but that she was on to the next place. Nuying pleaded with her to stay, but Kya, seeing the despair in Nuying's eyes, fearing entrapment, told her firmly no, saying she'd made no promises. On her way out, she heard Nuying begin to wail. She headed out the door, she remembered, and from every place in the compound people started to come outside, looking at her, and talking to each other, and then following her, and then chasing her. She'd run for her life, and when she got to the river she bent the water into smooth ice and slid away, while they slipped trying to follow.

The tears rolled down her cheek again, and pain surged inside her head.

"Oh, my darling, don't cry," Nuying said, coming over to the bed again. She sat beside Kya and took her hand.

"I was… so… wrong…" Kya choked.

"Oh, darling, darling… it was so long ago. I forgave you for that years ago."

Kya was confused again, and her head was so full of pain it was hard to process everything. Nuying lightly touched her cheek with her fingertips. She stood and moved over to the workbench, and began to do something there.

She had to rest again. She closed her eyes and concentrated just on breathing.

After a while, after she had calmed down and dozed again, Nuying brought her a bowl of lentils. "I'm sorry there's not more. Money's tight, and we're almost out of everything, actually. Deng will be back soon. Tonight, I hope." She put a bundled blanket behind Kya's back, and helped her to sit upright. Gently, she spoon fed Kya small amounts of the beans, seasoned only with a little salt. Still, it was something, and after eating and another cup of water Kya was improved a great deal.

Her headache had subsided somewhat, enough to start thinking a little more clearly. She was in no condition to escape yet. That would take days, or, hopefully, someone would notice she was missing and start searching for her. She'd disappointed Lin a second time… Lin might not be keen on looking hard for her. Tenzin would notice if she were gone more than three or four days, the kids maybe before that. She let these thoughts be her light in the darkness of her confusion. 

But now, now she was with Nuying. How had this come to pass? What was happening? Why? A one-night-stand from a quarter century ago? And she'd been forgiven? This made no sense.

"Why am I here?" She asked, finally.

Nuying turned from her workbench. "Deng brought you to me. It was so strange. Twenty years, and this was the first time he ever asked me if there was anything I wanted. What was the thing I wanted the most, and I said I wanted to see you again, to say I was sorry."

Kya blanched. "But I was the one that hurt you." she said.

"You did. I can't say you didn't. But that was a long time ago, and we were both young. I was naive. I'd never been out of the village before I met you, and we almost never had strangers visiting. You were so beautiful. You paid me attention like nobody ever had, and you were like me."

She turned back to her work for a while.

Nuying looked up at the ceiling, remembering, and spoke again. "They ran you out of town, because they said you'd ruined me. You told me you were leaving, and I was heartbroken, because you were the first woman I ever met who looked at me…that way. I felt like that all the time, about other women from the village, but I was afraid to do anything about it, and the village elders made it sound like it was evil and unnatural. Men are men, and have a place, and women are women, and have a place, they said. Yin and yang, they said. When you put two yang together, they fight. When you put two yin together, they create darkness."

"I was going to keep you a secret. I thought maybe I could be like you, and leave and travel the world, and find other women like us. But my sister overheard you talking to me before you left. She told Father. Father told Deng's father. Word got around the house, and they went looking for you. I’m glad you got away safe.”

"Deng is your… husband?"

"By arranged marriage. Father offered his family a way out; give back the dowry and the wedding was off. But his family squandered it all already. We were betrothed, but the wedding hadn't happened yet.

"Father said I dishonored our family; Deng didn't want me anymore, because I was ruined. Father was angry, because there was no money to get back. Deng's family was angry, because they had to take in a dishonored woman."

"Nuying," Kya said, "I caused all this. I can never make it up to you."

"No you didn't," Nuying replied, patiently. " _They_ did this to me. They treated me like a beast, all of them, even Father. He just wanted the money back. They told me that what we did was evil. It wasn't. I never felt so loved except for that night. You were the only person who was ever so good to me."

"So why didn't you leave?"

"I couldn't. They put me in the compound and the doors were always locked. I couldn't go outside. I had no friends, and I saw no one but Deng's family. They were so cold to me. They were trying to hide their shame from the village."

"Oh, spirits," Kya breathed. "I'm so, so sorry, Nuying."

"I suppose it could have been worse," Nuying mused. "They didn't kill me."

Kya felt the pain in her skull worsen, and she closed her eyes. The story was so awful, and her role in it so prominent. Had she known, she would have stayed and defended Nuying, but she was so eager to be gone, afraid that Nuying would tie her down. There was no way for Kya to know their night had been discovered. But still, it was her fault. If she'd been clear about her intentions, maybe Nuying would have refused her that night. Maybe.

Nuying had gone back to work. She was making something. Kya heard scraping, on something like wood. Finally curiosity got the better of her.

"What are you making?"

"Musical instruments," Nuying said, with a note of pride in her voice. "I learned to do it while I was at the compound, alone all the time. You heard me play my guzheng, but that got left with Father. So I asked them for wood and some tools, and they let me have them. I made all kinds of instruments, and they sold them. So they kept me alive."

The heat of the day was rising. Kya felt dozy again, so she slept more. Rest was the best way to heal, and she knew it. It was unfortunate that she'd been left unconscious so long, and she knew she was lucky it hadn't been worse, but she was past some of the danger now. She hoped there wasn't damage to her body that she didn't know about yet. The sooner she could get home to Mom the better.

In the afternoon, the sound of music woke her. Nuying was playing for her. The sound was as sweet as it had been that night so long ago. Then, Nuying was a much happier, rounder girl, with curves and a soft belly that Kya had found adorable. Clearly things had gone downhill for her since then, because now she was thin… bony. Wasted away. Her skin was roughened from the sun and wind, and her hair coarse from poor nutrition.

"That was amazing," Kya said, when she was done.

"Lots of practice," Nuying laughed. "Lots of time to practice."

"How did you come to be out here in the desert? Jiuchong isn’t that far from the ocean."

"Things got tough in Deng's family. They never had any money, and when and their crops failed from a swarm of insects, all the brothers split up and went looking for work. Deng joined Kuvira's forces. He was gone a lot, but I got by. Since times were tough, the village kinda forgot that I was a shame, or they just needed more bodies in the fields. I suppose I could have left, but where would I go? I'm so old now."

Kya could not think how to respond. They were the same age.

"Anyway, after Kuvira was defeated, Deng came back, and I think he was just tired of people or something. He was never happy, but after the war noise made him furious. He moved us out here because it's quiet."

Kya tried to grasp this. Nuying's life had been miserable. No freedom, no love. Just silence and work. 

She lay listening for a long while, trying to understand the silence. It was so different from everywhere she’d been. Everywhere Kya had been was where other people were, talking, laughing, singing, working, even just breathing. When she was alone in her boat, there was the sound of the water. This silence was like a thing you could touch. Nuying resumed carving the piece of wood she held, and Kya listened to the sound of the patient scraping, curl after curl of wood coming off, revealing a shape.

She fell asleep again to this sound.


	12. Takeoff

“Everything always takes twice as long as it should,” Lin complained, loudly.

“The plane is nearly ready,” Asami said, patiently, with her back to Lin. She faced Korra, and rolled her eyes heavily. Korra bit her lip to keep from laughing.

“You said it was ready at the hangar when we were back at the docks,” Lin argued.

“It _is_ ready for flight,” Asami said, “but we aren’t. We need medical supplies and food and water. You know this already. You don’t just fly into the desert in the middle of the night unprepared. I don’t even know how we’re going to navigate the mountains without light. This is very dangerous.”

“Are you sure you’re okay, Lin?” Korra asked. “You know, Asami and I can handle this. I don’t want to sound cocky, but I _am_ the Avatar. We can go find Kya and bring her home. Maybe you should go get a few hours of sleep.”

Lin looked at Korra murderously, but clenched her teeth and drew her lips into a thin white line.

“No.”

Korra shrugged, and she and Asami continued to load things into the bottom stowage area of the plane. This was one of Future Industries’ newest aircraft, with an enclosed cabin and seats for six people and two pilots.

Lin watched them together, stewing. What was with these two? Why were they always whispering and giggling?

“Hey! What’s up with you two?” They snorted laughter, but kept loading. Lin seethed.

After what seemed like forever, Asami finally allowed them to climb into the plane. Korra sat across from Lin in the first row of seats, and Asami took the cockpit. The night shift at the hangar opened the doors and she fired the engines, and the propellers whirled to life. Slowly the aircraft pulled itself forward and with increasing speed entered the runway. Asami guided the craft into alignment with the lights on the edge of the strip, and gunned the engine. It surged forward, and in moments they were aloft, Republic City underneath and then behind them. The light from the city illuminated the hillsides and the surrounding mountains so that Asami was able to reach an altitude where she felt comfortable leveling off, with no danger of a stray mountaintop getting in their way.

Korra and Lin looked out the porthole-sized windows at the world below them, moving slowly beneath them. As they got beyond the city the lights began to separate and become tiny. Each solitary house was visible by its lights, glittering pinheads of yellow below them.

They were up and over the mountains surrounding the city after about half an hour; Asami estimated from her charts that they would be airborne for four or five hours. She recommended that Lin try to sleep. Lin’s whole body was stiff, and her face had been rock hard for hours.

“What’s eating you, Lin?” Korra said, finally.

“I’m worried about Kya,” Lin said, gruffly. “She’s my friend. Like you two are friends. Is there something wrong with that? Just a couple of friends, and I’m worried about her.”

Then she sighed. Then she broke. Sobs heaved up from inside, and she buried her face in her hands.

Korra was alarmed, and Asami looked over her shoulder to see what was happening.

“What’s going on, Lin? Why are you so worried?” Korra put a comforting hand on Lin’s shoulder. Lin jerked, but didn’t pull away.

“I just… I just… I just… I just started to …started to... get.. get to know her…we were…we were…” Lin said, in a strangled voice. “And now she’s …just… gone…”

“We’ll find her. You know we will.” Korra said, gently.

Lin continued to sob silently, her face covered.

“You didn’t sleep. You need to get some rest. It’s going to be harder to help her unless you’re as strong as you can be. She may need you to be strong.”

Korra took Lin’s nearer hand in hers. “We’ve been through some pretty tough stuff, Lin. I can’t imagine this could be any harder than what we’ve already been through. But no matter what, Asami and I are here to help you.”

Lin nodded, her face turned away. She heaved a shuddering sigh, and turned toward the window. Korra stood and pulled a pillow from an overhead bin.

“Try to rest,” she said. She moved forward to sit in the cockpit with Asami, leaving Lin with at least a little privacy.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Asami whispered.

“Lin was the date at Song’s?”

“Mm hmm.”

Korra put her hand on Asami’s knee, and they looked forward out the window into the darkness. The moon was behind them now, soon to set.


	13. Late Is Not Never

The sun angled down over the bluffs to the west and north, and thin white clouds became orange in the evening light.

Kya was awake again, and watching Nuying move about her home. She had just had another cup of water, but there was no more to have. Deng hadn’t returned, and probably wouldn’t tonight, Nuying said, clearly sad.

Kya didn’t know what to say. She didn’t really have the strength to speak much anyway, and thinking was still hard. Nuying had offered her more beans, and she gratefully accepted some, until she realized that Nuying would go without if she had more. She refused any until Nuying had also eaten.

“You are kind. So kind. I wish we’d had more time together,” Nuying said.

“You could leave. We could go to Republic City together. I know you can find a home there. We can be friends. It’s never too late to start over.”

Nuying laughed a little. “Deng won’t let me go. He found you. He’ll find me. There’s no point.”

“You shouldn’t have to live like this, Nuying. You’re worth more than this.” Kya had to rest a moment. “You’re just as much a person as he is, and you have just as much a right to be free as anybody. You're so talented. The music, the instruments. You could have such a good life.”

Nuying didn’t respond. She went to fetch a flute, and sat next to the bed on a chair. She played sad tunes for a while, as the sunlight turned the yellow hills red.

“I really don’t know if Deng is coming back this time,” she said.

Kya felt an icicle of fear in her chest. It was possible. There was no water left, and no food, and too many miles of open desert to get away. It was a perfect prison, and if Deng wanted them to die here, it would be as easy as getting on with his life and forgetting. She was too weak from her concussion to go anywhere, and without water, they would both be finished in a couple of days.

Oh, spirits.

She hoped again that somebody in Republic City was looking for her. She’d missed her other date with Korra and Asami, and surely they would know that she always sent word when she couldn’t make it. They’d know. They’d tell Lin, and maybe the three of them would come looking for her. She didn’t know how, but she was sure they’d find a way.

“Nuying. When my friends come for me, come with me.”

Nuying said nothing for a long while. The solid silence surrounded them.

Finally, she said, “Do you have someone now that you call your own?”

Kya breathed. “Yes,” she said. “I’ve found someone. She’s brave and strong. She can be hard, but I’ve seen her soft side. She keeps it hidden, but she showed me. She needs me, and…I need her too.”

Nuying asked, “Do you love her?”

Kya whispered, “I want to.”

Nuying pressed her. “Would you have been able to love me?”

Kya had no more tears to shed, but her throat tightened just the same. “I was stupid not to. Nuying, if I had been less selfish, less afraid of being trapped, I would’ve loved you. You’re taking care of me now, even though I hurt you. If I’d been able to see what that was worth, I would have loved you. I was just young and afraid. I didn’t see this for too long. I didn’t love _anybody_ for too long.”

Nuying sighed. The room was dark now. She came around to the far side of the bed, and lay down next to Kya, curling into her. She stroked Kya’s hair softly, softly. Unlike the morning, Kya felt the body in the bed with her as a comfort. Not too old to learn, either of us. Late is not never. An old, new, dear friend. Spirits, let us live a little more.


	14. Found and Lost and Found

Lin felt a hand on her knee. Korra was gently shaking her awake.

"Lin, Asami says we're about to land," she said.

Lin sat up and oriented herself. It was still dark outside the portholes, but she could see a light along the rim of the world where the dawn had just begun. They were making an approach to a flat space outside the town around the Misty Palms Oasis. Asami warned them to buckle up. As there was no official airstrip, this would likely be a pretty bumpy landing, and it was still rather dark.

She flicked on lights under the wings, and illuminated the ground below. This was as good as it was going to get. Scrubby bushes might throw them a bit, but she thought she could make it.

The plane touched down and bounced, and the three women inside were pitched in all directions, hearing the roar of the propellers as Asami decreased the power and the flaps grabbed at the air to slow down. Asami gripped the controls and eased back on the thrust, and after a harrowing minute they started to roll bumpily along the ground.

"Aww yeah!" She exclaimed, pleased with herself.

"Awesome, sweetie," Korra said, and kissed her girlfriend quickly on the lips. Then, she realized what she'd done and took a furtive look at Lin.

Lin's eyes were wide, her face blank.

"How you feeling?" Korra asked breezily, pretending nothing was amiss.

"Ah…um… better."

"Okay, there's the town," Asami said, and steered the airplane toward the outskirts. Once they were stopped, she unlatched the door and hopped the few feet toward the ground, and Korra followed, assisted by a puff of airbending. Lin earthbent a set of stairs and stepped down them grandly.

"That's traveling in style," Asami said appreciatively.

The each shouldered a bag of supplies and headed into the small town. A narrow road, mostly the footprints of centuries of handcarts and ostrich horses, led them inward and to an inn on the square.

"Let's get a room, get cleaned up and maybe some breakfast," Asami suggested.

"First, Korra, do the connection thing," Lin said.

Korra put her bags down and knelt on one knee. She splayed her fingers out on the dusty earth and breathed to calm herself. Centering, she entered the Avatar state, and from her fingertips her mind saw a lighting-like bolt flash out along the ground, and her mind followed it, traveling northwest into the desert. The trail sped to a mostly level place of sand and stone, to a hewn building in the middle of nowhere, a few low bluffs just beyond. As it approached the building, the light narrowed and dimmed, until it was a thread, and her mind's eye saw Kya on a rough bed, sleeping or unconscious, and injured. She knew Kya was not alone. There was a second presence in the room with her.

She came back to herself and stood. Not wanting to worry Lin, she said, "Let's get going. I know where she is." She was troubled by the thin thread of light she'd seen, knowing somehow that meant that Kya was not well… but the other presence comforted her. Someone was tending to her wounds. She just felt it.

It was almost daylight now, and there were people moving around the square, curious about the loud noise of the plane that had recently landed. When they saw the three women, they kept their distance, but followed. They entered the inn with their things, booked a room, and dropped their bags.

"What's the best way to get there? Is it too far to go on foot?" Asami asked.

"It's a long walk, for sure, but I don't know if it's a good idea to fly out there," Korra responded. "We could alert somebody we might not want to."

"Is someone there threatening her?" Lin demanded.

"No. That's not what I see." Korra said, shading the truth. "I don't know who else is out there, and I want to be sure we have the advantage of surprise if necessary."

"Should we get someone to drive us?" Asami wondered.

"I don't know. What do you think, Lin?"

"I don't want to wait."

The only place to eat in the town at that hour was a greasy spoon diner, but it had several rough looking men drinking tea and eating eggs. One of them had to have a truck for hire, certainly. Lin paused to scan their faces, and said in a low voice to Korra and Asami, "Three of these guys have sand bender hoods and old uniforms from Kuvira's army. It's possible one of these dirtbags is the one who was looking for Kya."

"Best to be careful, then. Don't let on what we're looking for." Korra said.

They started asking each of the men if they had a truck for hire. Faces went from the hope of landing a job to hopeless again, as they had to admit they didn't. They went around the room, until finally Korra came to a man with a thick beard, his green jacket nearly brown from dust and sweat. She was on her guard.

"Hey, sir? You wouldn't happen to have a truck for hire, would you?"

"Depends. Who's asking?"

"The Avatar," she said, flatly.

The man kept his eyes on his eggs. He chewed. "Yeah, I guess," he said, finally. "You got cash?"

Asami came over and flashed a handful of bills. "We got cash."

The man sat silently, and shoveled more eggs into his mouth.

"Awright," he said, finally. "I'll be out there in fifteen minutes. Get your stuff. I ain't got extra water."

The three shouldered their backpacks and went to sit in the shade outside. It was already hot, and it promised to be more so later in the day.

The driver came around the front of the building at the arranged time, and sat unmoving in the front seat. He directed a thumb at the bed of the truck, half full of large stoneware jugs and wooden crates. They jumped into the back, and sat on the boxes.

"Which way?" he yelled from the front.

"North. Toward the hills."

The truck lurched into gear, and they rode out of town. The sun bore down on them, so they pulled their jackets out and wore them as tents over their heads, to keep off the rays as best they could.

It was a long, rough, dusty ride, and Korra and Asami were already tired from having spent the night awake in the cockpit of the plane. Lin had little to say, so they fell asleep against the side boards of the truck bed, leaning on each other. Korra had put her arm around Asami and Asami's head was on her shoulder, the way Kya had dozed against Lin's just two nights ago.

She watched them together, understanding now what the kiss in the cockpit had meant, the giggling in the hangar… that Korra said she'd been staying over at Asami's. She felt a strange sensation in her chest. She thought back over the past year, since Korra had returned from her injuries from the Red Lotus. Korra and Asami were two parts of a whole, completely complementary. Tough but compassionate, savvy and energetic, the both of them. They had been friends in spite of each of them dating Mako for a time. They came from entirely different backgrounds, but they'd been growing together the whole time, she thought. They're in love.

And if the Avatar can love another woman, then I can too, she realized. She and Kya had been growing together, and would continue. If Kya could come home safe, that is. Which, by the spirits, was going to happen. She was filled with sudden determination that nothing would keep her from bringing Kya home.

The truck stopped after a couple of hours. The man in the truck yelled back, "Which way?" There was a turn here, and the road led straight north, or off to the west. Korra jumped down, and put her hand to the ground again. She climbed back up, yelled back, "West," and they turned, and it seemed the driver had picked up some speed. He was going faster and faster, until it was clear something was wrong. The three women clung to the boards on the side of the truck bed, holding on for dear life.

Finally, he slammed on the brakes and turned the wheel hard, so that the truck almost tipped over. They flew out of the back, and only a swirl of air from around Korra prevented them from a fatal hard landing. They got to their feet and suddenly had to dive, as the driver aimed the truck at them and was bearing down.

Korra leaped up, and braced her feet. She lifted a heap of stone from the earth, and caught the front end of the truck. It flipped and rolled.

There was a strange moment of silence as they tried to determine if the driver had been stopped. Suddenly, sand started to fly in a whirlwind around them, stinging their eyes and blinding them. They clung to each other, backs outward, hunching down on the ground to limit their exposure to the heavily abrading sand.

As soon as it had started, the sand fell to earth, and after a moment or two they lifted their heads to see the man running fast down a slope towards the stone hut that Korra had seen in her vision.

"There!" She shouted. "Kya's in there!" They began running toward him, but the soft piles of sand slowed them. He stopped a distance from the hut, and assumed an earthbender's horse stance. Suddenly boulders began rising from the earth, and he flung them left and right, away from the base of the hut. He was digging a valley around the the stone building.

He turned and saw them, and another wave of sand pelted them. They cowered again. Korra airbent a space around them from the tiny stinging stones.

He resumed his bending, until the hut was standing on a slender pillar of stone, slightly thinner than the hut itself. If anyone were inside, they dared not step out the door for fear of falling. He moved towards the pillar.

"Stop right there!" He shouted at them, as they approached. "You come any closer, and I'll bring that house down!"

They skidded to a halt.

"What do you want?" Korra shouted back at him.

"I want you freaks dead!" He cried out. "You ruin everything! You stupid Republic City bitches! You stupid freak women!"

"Calm down," Lin commanded.

"I don't take orders from freaks!"

Korra was in the center, Lin on her left and Asami on her right. They crouched, ready to spring.

He shouted again. "I knew you bitches would come! You ruin everything!"

Lin felt the smallest seismic shift, and realized that the man's foot was moving to a position to strike again. She shot a glance at the others.

He moved, and the pillar cracked. Korra sent a hard blast of air at him, and he tumbled backward. The building was poised to fall. But it did not: Lin stood, her knees bent and braced, her palms flat and facing upward, as if lifting. And she was... as the pillar of stone shattered and crumbled, the house and its floor remained suspended in the air.

"Korra, help!" She called breathlessly, laboring with the weight.

Korra assumed the same form as Lin and together they moved the building, gently floating it through the air toward them.

The man had had the wind knocked out of him by Korra's blast of air. He rolled over and struggled to his feet. He turned to charge them, but Asami was already there, and a slap to his back with the Equalist glove put him on the ground again, unmoving.

As carefully as moving a priceless antique vase, they placed the foundation of the stone hut on level ground with a crunch. Lin dashed through the open door.

An old woman huddled on the floor, clinging to a primitive wooden bed, on which Kya lay. Kya's eye was blackened and swollen. The forehead above it had an ugly gash. Her skin was papery dry. The woman did not look better; she seemed to have been starved. Korra was on Lin's heels, and when she saw the two, said, urgently, "We have to get them out of here. They're seriously dehydrated and Kya's had a concussion. You wait here... I'm going to find the water."

Lin knelt by the bed and said to the frightened woman, "We're here to help you. That man is not going to hurt you any more. Are you all right?"

"Yes, but don't hurt him," she said, in a tiny voice. "Kya will be all right."

Lin frowned slightly and turned out the door. She strode to where Asami stood by the man, who was beginning to regain consciousness. Lin pushed him onto his stomach with the sole of her boot and a flash of metal shot out. She metalbent his hands behind his back. She did the same to his ankles. She flipped him onto his back the same way. Towering over the dirt-covered truck driver, she stared down at him, as though deciding whether he should live or die.

Asami touched her forearm. "We should get him into the shade until help gets here."

"Are you sure we can't just leave him?" She sighed. Then she squared her feet and shoulders, and lifted him on a slab of stone, and sent him off to the north side of the building. "But how are we going to get help now? The truck is destroyed."

"I told an airship crew to follow us to the Oasis. There will be a medical crew overhead soon. They were going to take longer to get here, so I thought we'd be able to catch them on their way over this area if we found Kya in time. I think things have worked out in our favor."

"Impressive. Ms. Sato. Very smart."

She noticed Korra returning with one of their backpacks. She hurried back to the hut, Asami close behind.

Korra came close to Kya and poured some water onto her hand, which started to glow a light blue. "I'm not as good as your mom, Kya, but I'll do my best." She then touched the side of Kya's head with her illuminated hand, applying waterbending healing to the wound. The cut closed quickly, and as she stayed in contact, Kya's eyes opened. Her eyes focused on Lin, and she smiled faintly.

"You came for me."

"I had to." Lin was smiling but her eyes were wet. She sat on the bed next to her and took Kya's hand in both of hers. "We're here to take you home."

The old woman standing nearby shuffled her feet, and the three rescuers seemed finally to notice her. "You're the one she ended up with, aren't you?" she said to Lin.

"I...uh..."

"I met her many years ago. I thought I might make her mine, but that didn't happen. She was too free-spirited to be tamed by a naive young girl like me. But you're very strong, I can tell. I guess she needed someone solid like you. I'm so glad for you both."

The three women looked confused.

"My name's Nuying. I had one night with Kya a long time ago that changed everything for me. My husband Deng is the one who just lost to you, outside."

"Why is Kya here?" Lin asked.

"Deng asked me if there was anything that I wanted. I told him the truth: I wanted to see Kya once again, to apologize for the way my village had tried to hurt her. Honestly I was surprised he did it. I told him not to hurt her... that if she didn't want to come, not to force her. He didn't listen to me."

Asami had been keeping watch out the window, looking for any sign of the airship. She spotted a dark speck out beyond the hills, and called out, "Here comes our help."

Korra went outside, and with a leap into the air, firebent jets from the soles of her feet, propelling her upwards and out toward the airship. The captain of the ship nodded in awed surprise when Korra waved at him, gesturing for him to land.

When he landed, two crewmen took Deng by each arm and dragged him to the ship's hold. The rest of the crew and Korra and Asami lifted the bed together and carefully carried Kya aboard. Lin picked up the frail Nuying, and carried her in. A doctor onboard began to examine Kya, and water was brought to Nuying.

Shyly, she asked, "Can i get my tools? And my instrument?"

"Allow me," Lin said, and strode back to the hut. She brought a basket of the partially finished instruments and carving tools in one hand, and the long stringed instrument in the other. Doors were closed, people secured, and the airship gently lifted off the ground.

Nuying smiled like the sun had just risen for her for the very first time. She knew that she was finally free.


	15. Whys and Wherefores

Lin stepped through the hatch into the hold. Deng sat on the floor, his back to the wall, hunched.

“Why?” She asked.

Deng said nothing.

“Look, there’s plenty of evidence to convict you of kidnapping, even if you don’t tell me anything. But why?”

“You Republic City bitches. Always ruining everything.”

“What does that mean? What did we ruin?”

“Yin and yin together creates darkness. You unnatural freaks.”

Lin considered this.

“I took the damaged bitch in because I had to. But I didn’t have to touch her. I had to do what I could to salvage the family honor, but that was a waste of time. They treated us like dung anyway. Women don’t know how to do anything right. Women benders should just stay in the house and raise bending boys. Men are supposed to be the ones who go outside. Yang rises, yin falls. That’s natural. Two women together? That’s freaks.”

Lin looked at him, her face like iron.

“Whole world falls apart because women are always messing things up. I almost believed Kuvira was different. She was going to bring order. I had a good job as an airship engineer. Built my own after the war. After that war that the stupid bitch messed up and lost. Bataar would have got it right, but the stupid woman thought she was supposed to be in charge. Yin falls. That’s why we lost.

“Nuying. That stupid freak. Tied to her for twenty five years. Like a stone on a rope tied to my neck. Makes me look weak, because she can make stuff that brings in the money. Even my family was gonna let her go, there at the end. But dammit, no. I was gonna be free of her. It was mine to choose. Mine! I was gonna be free.”

He sank into himself, his filthy beard on his chest.

“And after all that I did for her, letting her be my wife all that time, that ruined bitch. One last request, anything she wanted. And what did she choose? That freak Republic City waterbender that ruined her in the first place. I couldn’t take any more. So I was gonna get rid of ’em both. Leave ’em here. They’re so smart? Let ’em find their own way out. Then it wouldn’t be like I killed her. Maybe they coulda lived, maybe not. But then it wouldn’t be my fault. I didn’t do anything to deserve this.”

Lin stood taller, appalled.

“Then you stupid Republic City freak bitches show up. The woman Avatar. Ruins everything. Three to one, not even fair.”

Lin turned and stepped out, closing the door gently behind her.


	16. Moments

* * *

 

"Well, I guess we should get the plane loaded again, and get back to Republic City."

"Why? The room's paid for already, and my meetings were pushed back to tomorrow afternoon. And I'm exhaaaaauuusted."

"I know that look, Sato."

 

* * *

 

"FHWOOO! Woooooowwwww!"

"I'll wait until you catch your breath."

"Hooooly… wow, Asami!"

Asami propped herself up on an elbow. "Isn't it strange, how happy you can be for other people?"

"Yeah. Think Lin will crack, though? She's so stiff?"

"Oh, I don't know, Korra. Kya might be able to get her to relax."

"Yeah, she's a good waterbender."

"You don't need a bender to bend her," Asami quipped.

"I know, right?" Korra gently pushed Asami onto her back and slid atop her. "Okay, your turn, funny girl."

 

* * *

 

"You're late." Lin said, gruffly, but her eyes belied her voice.

"Only three weeks," Kya said. "Not three years. Oh, look! I didn't know they had fresh-cut flowers!"

"Song's is my favorite," Lin said. "Though I rarely had reasons to come here before."

"Are you doing more paperwork this afternoon?"

"No. I'll never catch up. It'll wait. It always has."

"You have plans this afternoon?"

"I don't know. It depends on you."

"Oh, it does, does it?"

Lin lowered her eyes, smiling.

"I'm a little shaky yet. Things feel weird. Like I'm not quite myself."

"You're not in pain, are you?"

"Sometimes, but not bad."

Lin reached out across the white tablecloth and shyly took her hand. "I wish there were more I could do."

"Like you haven't done everything already."

"We could go down to the waterfront. Watch the waves?"

"That would be lovely. Just being with you always is.""

 

* * *

 

"Are you not ready YET?" Lin growled.

"I'm just finishing my makeup."

"You don't need it."

"How do you make something so sweet sound so grumpy?"

"You want me to be less grumpy? Let's get going! We'll be late!"

"There. Now I'm finished."

She came to the door. Lin looked her over. "Nice gown."

"Nice suit."

Lin put her arms around Kya, pulled her close, and kissed her. "Oh darn. Your makeup's smudged."

Kya thumped Lin's bicep. "Who's gonna be late?"

 

* * *

 

"Look at her! She's twenty years younger!" Lin beamed.

"Nuying has really thrived here in Republic City. Her face is so much softer now."

"I can't believe she's performing here tonight! Republic City Music Hall!"

"The new band is playing at Kyoshi Island tomorrow. Should we go?"

"Are you ready for that, Kya? It might be loud."

"We'll see. I want to try. You can always take me home if it is."

"She and Tsukiko are so charming together. Their jazz duets are so inventive."

"And they love their dumplings!" Kya laughed. "Oh shh… the lights are going down."


	17. Open Doors

A cool crispness was in the air tonight. For six months Lin had been patiently helping Kya heal from her injuries at the hands of Deng. He'd raged at the trial; it was open and shut, really; but a woman as judge was more than he could deal with, and he had to be dragged from the courtroom.

Nuying was happy, and Kya and she both bloomed like summer flowers from that day. Kya had suffered, first physically, and then mentally a while, but she was resuming her life much like before. Her boat had been found adrift past Air Temple Island a few days after their return. She didn't like to sail as she had in the past, at least not solo, feeling insecure. Perhaps over time that would improve too.

She waited at Li Han's after work, as before, pretending to be annoyed, as always. The komodo chicken fried rice was excellent, as usual, but she complained about the ginger and onions, because it was her custom to do so. Li Han ignored her complaints with a grin.

Kya came and sat beside her, and ordered the squid shrimp with hot noodles. She offered a sample, feeding Lin from her chopsticks. The noodles were very hot, spicy and delicious.

They walked through the streets, the air clear, the moon a sliver once again. It was unlike the last time, but it still felt dreamlike to Lin. They found the restaurant with the black wood and white tablecloths, and toasted each other on their accomplishments: Lin had jailed a triad kingpin, now awaiting trial. Perhaps this time he wouldn't get out as easily as before. Kya had regained the ability to control temperature with her waterbending, and she froze Lin's drink solid, apologizing that her fine control still needed a little work; Lin took her hand and kissed her fingers gently.

They walked through the darkening evening. The nights were getting longer.

Into the tall stately building, in and up the elevator to Lin's apartment. She gestured and the lock opened, and bowed low, with a sweeping gesture for Kya to enter.

Kya went to the balcony, drawn as always by the view. The harbor was crystal clear, and the lights from Air Temple Island glittered on the waves. The moon offered its portion, and Lin said, "In a sea of gold, silver stands out."

"Where did you hear that?" Kya asked.

"I thought that about you, the night you went missing. You were my silver-haired treasure."

Kya's eyes dropped and she blushed. It was hard to make Kya blush. "It's chilly out here, isn't it?"

They went in, and sat on the sofa together. It was different but the same. Lin was so at ease she hardly recognized herself. Kya was her home, and her apartment felt like home with her in it.

"Here, I have something for you," she said, and fished in a pocket. She withdrew a brass key tied with a red ribbon. Her voice was low and full of emotion, as she offered it on an open palm. "Stay with me."

Kya's eyes sparkled as she took the key, and then nestled into the crook of Lin's arm.

After time passed, Kya said, "I've been a lot of places. I've been with a lot of women."

"It's who you are. I know that."

"I could never promise any of them I would stay."

Lin stroked her hair softly.

"Aren't you afraid?"

"No," Lin said. "You're a free spirit. It would be wrong to try to hold you down. But look… I've known you since we were both children, and you've always come back. I hope that you'll always come back to me. That's why I gave you the key. So you could come and go as you pleased."

Kya's eyes glistened with tears, and by the golden lamplight Lin saw it, and said, with mock irritation, "Now don't you make me go and cry too. I can't have people thinking I've gone soft."

"But you are soft," she said, and touched Lin on her cheek, and on her lips… and put her palm on her breast.

Lin turned Kya to face her and their lips met, eagerly, and tongues explored. They kissed hard and hungrily, hands now searching each other, softly, sometimes holding tight. Lin broke and moved her mouth to Kya's throat, and down, down, to the edge of her dress. Kya threw her head back and took it all in, enjoying the pleasurable sensations coursing through her.

She pressed her back against the seat of the sofa, putting her stomach against Kya's, feeling as much of her body against her own as she could. She wanted to absorb her, devour her. She kissed her without stopping, until Kya put her arms against her shoulders and pressed… "Whoa! Slow down!"

Lin froze, and then drew back. "Am I hurting you?" she asked, alarmed.

Kya laughed. "No no no, baby. Slower… enjoy it!"

Lin slumped, relieved, and moved back over her, kissing her more slowly now.

"I've got an idea," Kya said.

They rose from the sofa, and Kya took her by the hand. She led Lin to her bedroom, and Lin became truly nervous, but Kya kept going, into the bathroom. She bent over the large tub, and put the plug in the drain. Then the water started.

Lin froze again. Kya was undressing right before her, and she was mesmerized. In only a few moments, she stood before her, nude, extraordinary, beautiful. "Hoohh" she exhaled. Lin's entire body felt something like goosebumps, something like electricity, but new, different.

Kya stepped close. She started with the buttons on Lin's shoulder, and took her shirt off for her. Then she lifted the sleeveless undershirt over Lin's head, and Lin warmed to the idea. She leaned in to let Kya undo her bra, and shrugged out, revealing herself. She was out of the trousers in short order.

The excitement thrumming through her now was new, and she stopped to savor it. Kya climbed into the tub carefully, the water warm. She took Lin's hand and pulled, and Lin stepped in. She wanted to sit facing Kya, but Kya pushed and pulled her, and she let herself be led, so that she lay in Kya's arms with her legs wrapped around her. She was enthralled.

"You need to relax," Kya said in a low voice. She kissed Lin's shoulders, and the back of her neck. In the water her hands slipped over her skin easily, down her shoulders, across her back, softly massaging. She stroked her sides and brought her hands forward to feel the firm muscles of Lin's abdomen. Rising, she cupped her breasts and paused there, letting Lin's excited panting catch up. "Slow down, baby. Enjoy it," she said, half laughing. 

"Who says I'm not?"

Kya brought her hand down torturously slowly, down to Lin's navel, and with a fingertip circled it. It heaved with each breath. Then her fingers slid, millimeter by millimeter, lower and lower, until she reached the hairline of Lin's pubis, and gently stroked there. Lin was tensing with anticipation.

Lin groaned. Sweet agony.

She waited until Lin let go of her tension, and then resumed the downward descent. At last, she slipped her finger inside the lips, and Lin gasped and rose up. 

"Wetter than wet," Kya commented, approvingly.

Lin was flushed and speechless. A shaking hand took Kya's wrist and held it down. More.

Kya went on, moving her finger slowly, feeling the slickness, more slippery than water. She felt the heat growing. Kya too was becoming excited, and she added pressure to the bud she touched there. Lin moaned, and moved in time. They found a rhythm. Two fingers now, and with every stroke against the slick flesh, Lin crept closer and closer to a peak. A little more, a little more, faster, faster, and then Kya suddenly stopped… and pulled one long, slow stroke… and Lin went over the edge, her internal muscles gripped, back arched, legs stiffened, and she cried out a long, drawn out, rising "Aaaaahhh!"

And then Lin sank into the water. Occasional aftershocks went through her. She sighed. Never had she felt like this. At this moment she drifted in a happy, relaxed haze, warm, comfortable, loved…

Kya's arms and legs were around her, keeping her safe. The one who saved her, saved by her. Two who'd felt they needed no one needed each other.

She turned, finally, and looked Kya in the eyes. There was a peaceful joy there. She floated to the other end of the tub, looking at her silver-haired treasure.

"Now I know," she said.


End file.
